BUSINESS | Page 1 | Page 20 Ashghal implements preventive Qatar Airways Cargo to measures resume belly-hold cargo to combat operations to China virus spread published in QATAR since 1978

TUESDAY Vol. XXXXI No. 11504 March 31, 2020 Sha’ban 7, 1441 AH

GULF TIMES www. gulf-times.com 2 Riyals

Hazm Hospital to treat Covid-19 cases

QNA Kaabi said that this decision is part of the pre-emptive plan that the health- care sector is implementing to ensure that any possible increase in the number amad Medical Corporation of Covid-19 patients is managed. (HMC) has announced the des- He pointed out that Hazm Mebai- Hignation of Hazm Mebaireek reek General Hospital was specifi cally General Hospital as a facility for treat- chosen to treat Covid-19 patients be- ing coronavirus patients, with the aim cause the hospital will provide a mod- of providing high-quality care for such ern and advanced environment for the patients in an integrated facility. treatment of patients, both men and HE the Minister of Public Health Dr women of all nationalities. Hanan Mohamed al-Kuwari said that the Hazm Mebaireek General Hospital rapid transformation of Hazm Mebaireek has 147 beds, including 42 intensive General Hospital into a facility for treating care beds and 105 inpatient beds. coronavirus patients is an example of the The hospital’s capacity can be in- proactive approach in the healthcare sec- creased to 471 beds (221 beds for inten- tor in the face of this epidemic. sive care and 250 beds for inpatients). She added that the ministry started If needed in the future, it can also pro- to move quickly from the beginning vide a Covid-19 emergency depart- and worked to set standards through ment with a capacity of 150 beds. decisions without any delay, “and this The Hazm Mebaireek General Hospital has been made ready to treat Covid-19 patients. All daily services at Hazm Mebaireek is exactly what we need to address the General Hospital have been tempo- rapidly spreading coronavirus”. Hazm Mebaireek General Hospital to Patients infected with coronavirus reek General Hospital, where they will For his part, the Head of the Health rarily suspended until further notice, HE the minister expressed pride at act as a facility to provide high-quality and having moderate to severe symp- receive the necessary treatment while System Committee for Accident Con- while the emergency department re- the eff orts made by everyone to equip care to Covid-19 patients. toms will be admitted to Hazm Mebai- they are under constant surveillance. trol to confront Covid-19 Dr Saad al- mains open as usual.

Amir condoles with Indonesian president His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim Kahramaa sees Favourable ruling for Nasser bin Hamad al-Thani yesterday held 59 new virus cases a telephone conversation with Indonesian President Joko Widodo, jump in use of al-Khelaifi in Swiss case during which he off ered condolences reported as 3 more to him on the death of his mother, online services praying to the Almighty Allah to have asser al-Khelaifi , the head of ary case, mercy on her soul and to grant her international pay-television concluding Paradise, and to give patience to patients recover QNA Ngiant beIN Media Group, has that there the bereaved. During the call, they Doha received a boost as he seeks to clear was a lack reviewed bilateral relations and means his name in a corruption investiga- of evidence of supporting and developing them, in QNA cases of recovery bring to 51 the to- tion in Switzerland with the coun- of misman- addition to discussing the eff orts made Doha tal number of people recovered from atar General Electricity and Wa- try’s federal court having rejected a agement by by the two countries in combating the Covid-19 in Qatar. ter Corporation (Kahramaa) has prosecution case against him. Valcke, so novel coronavirus (Covid-19) to limit The ministry has commissioned Qwitnessed a remarkable increase Last month, al-Khelaifi , who is any alleged and prevent its spread. he Ministry of Public Health new laboratory techniques for test- in the use of its online services of late. also the president of French soccer Al-Khelaifi...vindicated encourage- (MoPH) announced yesterday ing Covid-19 with which it is pos- During the period from March 17-28, giants Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), ment was Trump, Putin discuss Tthe registration of 59 new con- sible to conduct a greater number of the creation of new electronic accounts was cleared of bribery in a probe that irrelevant, that the business aff airs oil price plunge, virus fi rmed cases of the novel coronavirus tests each day than before. This has increased by 93%, logging into electron- also involves Jérôme Valcke, former between Valcke and al-Khelaifi were (Covid-19), in addition to three more led to an increase in the number of ic accounts increased by about 300%, secretary-general of FIFA, and a third private and personal, and not to do President and his cases of recovering patients. cases discovered each day - which is and downloading the Kahramaa app for unnamed accused, and relates to pay- with Fifa, and that the federation did Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin Some of the new cases of infection helping in the early detection of in- smartphones went up by 240%, when ments alleged to have been made for not suff er fi nancial damage. discussed plunging oil prices and the are related to people who have re- fected cases and thus helping reduce compared to the same period in February. media rights for major tournaments. The prosecutor has 10 days to ap- coronavirus pandemic yesterday, cently returned to Qatar from over- the spread of the virus. Kahramaa noted that during the In the case that was still being pros- peal against the ruling. as Trump said Moscow is pressing seas, particularly from the UK, and The MoPH is continuing to carry same period, the company received ecuted, the advantages alleged to have Valcke, who is already serving a for an end to US sanctions. The two to others who had had contact with out all necessary checks for all citi- 17,820 requests through its digital plat- been received by Valcke included being FIFA-imposed ban from soccer, has “expressed serious concern regarding those infected with the virus, either zens arriving from abroad, as well as forms, where 14,200 electronic pay- allowed to live rent-free for 18 months been charged with accepting bribes, the scope of the spread of the from family members who live in the all individuals who have been in con- ment transactions were made, as well in a villa in Sardinia in Italy that al- aggravated criminal mismanage- coronavirus” and “discussed closer same house or from relatives in other tact with the aff ected cases. as1,122 house shifting requests, 2,033 Khelaifi was said to have bought ment and falsifi cation of documents. co-operation,” according to a Kremlin homes. The health ministry also requests requests to issue a certifi cate, 32 re- through a company, which should have Charges of bribery against al-Khelaifi statement on what it described as the All new cases have been put into that all members of society co-oper- quests to register as a Qatari participant cost between €900,000 and €1.8mn. relating to beIN’s acquisition of media “lengthy” phone call. The White House quarantine where they are receiving ate fully and adhere to all guidelines eligible for exemption, in addition to re- The Qatari offi cial has continued to rights in the Middle East and North said Trump and Putin had “agreed the necessary medical care. and advice regarding limiting the quests to remove meters for the purpose deny any wrongdoing, and the Swiss Africa to the 2026 and 2030 World to work closely together through The MoPH said that the three new spread of Covid-19. of demolition and meter complaints. federal court has rejected the second- Cups were dropped in February. the G20” against the virus and the economic shock resulting from travel bans and . Harry, Meghan sign off royal Instagram account Coronavirus is mutating and now has eight strains Britain’s Prince Harry and wife Meghan Markle are to take a break from their royal Instagram account, DPA they announced yesterday as they New York prepare for life outside the royal inner circle. “While you may not see us here, the work continues... We look forward he novel coronavirus is mutat- to reconnecting with you soon. You’ve ing, as viruses do, and eight been great!” the couple wrote on their Tstrains are now making the “sussexroyal” Instagram account, rounds globally, medical experts say. signing off informally as Harry and The good news is that the mutations Meghan. The couple are due to leave are not more lethal, said Trevor Bed- the royal frontline today, having told ford, whose website, NextStrain.org, is Queen Elizabeth II they wanted to tracking the virus’s genome from sam- pursue more independent lives. ples provided to him from throughout . the world. Tokyo Olympics to open But they are informative. on July 23 next year Researchers are dissecting the ge- nomes of coronavirus and discovering A worker at NorthCape, an outdoor furniture manufacturer, sews personal The Tokyo Olympics will begin on July the strains that have emerged since the protective equipment (PPE) yesterday in Alsip, Illinois. A general view of a food market after Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari called 23 next year, organisers said yesterday, virus fi rst jumped from animals to hu- for a lockdown starting last night to limit the spread of coronavirus disease in Lagos. after the coronavirus forced the historic mans in a Wuhan, China, wildlife mar- yes,” Harvard University infectious The strains emerging are only decision to postpone the Games until ket late last year. disease epidemiologist Marc Lipsitch slightly tweaked, with no variations in Even a bit faster for fl u.” than a sketch, the experts said. 2021. The announcement comes less The work “shows how the virus is said. lethality, experts said. While the genomes retrieved so Scientists agree that there is much than a week after organisers were migrating and splitting into similar “What is in question is whether “The observed rate of mutation far are providing reassuring infor- more to be discovered. forced to delay the Games under heavy but new subtypes,” as USA Today ex- there’s been any change that’s im- (about two mutations per month) is mation about how the virus can be But the microscopic changes are pressure from athletes and sports plained. portant to the course of disease or the completely normal for a virus,” Bedford stopped and whether social dis- helping them map the pathogen’s federations as the global outbreak “In the literal sense of ‘is it changing transmissibility or other things that we wrote on Twitter. “Flu and the common tancing is working — indications are pathway through the human popula- worsened. Sport Page 1 genetically,’ the answer is absolutely as humans care about.” cold have similar mutation rates. that it is — they do not provide more tion. Gulf Times 2 Tuesday, March 31, 2020 QATAR Qatar Charity distributes 900 health kits to workers in zEff orts aimed at limiting spread of Covid-19 and controlling infections

QNA Ministry of Administrative De- Doha velopment, Labour and Social Aff airs Fahad Zafer al-Dosari said that these eff orts refl ect the atar Charity (QC), in awareness already being cre- co-operation with the ated and provides guidance to QMinistry of Administra- establishments in Qatar in co- tive Development, Labour and operation with the Ministry of Social Aff airs and the Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of Public Health, distributed health kits to Health and QC. 900 workers in the Lusail area as He added that there have also a part of QC’s awareness eff orts been major eff orts to sterilise to limit the spread of the corona- workers’ accommodations and virus (Covid-19) and try to con- facilitate medical examination trol and reduce infections. procedures, raise awareness and guidance at work sites and Workers are a key part headquarters of facilities subject of Qatar in view of their to the labour law and establish- role in the development ments in general. and reconstruction of Director of the Local Develop- the country, stressing the ment Department of QC Jassim importance of increasing Mohamed al-Emadi stressed that their health awareness and the campaign targeted the largest care as sons of this country number of workers, as it started from the Azab (farm) compounds A Qatar Charity off icial handing over a kit to a worker. Right: Off icials and volunteers at the health kit distribution programme. The health kits were distrib- and then the workers housing and uted in the presence of a number construction sites. Some 10,000 kits to workers in other regions. distributed to workers of all na- tion to the requirements of per- Director of the Labour Rela- of their role in the develop- of offi cials of the Ministry of Ad- health kits were distributed to He pointed out that the health tionalities and languages with sonal and preventive hygiene. tions Department at the Min- ment and reconstruction of the ministrative Development, QC workers in diff erent regions during kits contain educational publi- the aim of raising awareness of He stressed that QC is carrying istry of Administrative Devel- country, stressing the impor- and a number of volunteers. the previous period, while those cations in seven languages that how to deal with the coronavirus out this mission as part of its opment Abdullah al-Dosari tance of increasing their health Director of the General In- distributed on Monday were to 900 include the most important edu- and to preserve their safety and national duty and responsibility explained that the workers awareness and care as sons of spection Department at the workers in the Lusail area and 2,400 cational guidelines. These were the safety of society, in addi- towards society. are a key part of Qatar in view this country.

Shoppers urged to strictly follow social distancing guidelines

By Joey Aguilar hypermarkets have placed in- stantly protect themselves and Staff Reporter side their premises to encourage have concern for other people. physical distancing are praise- “However, I often see the veg- worthy measures. etable area, particularly where Participants attending the workshop jointly organised by WISA and Qatar Red Crescent Society. hoppers at hypermarkets However, she said that if peo- onions are placed, so crowded and other stores across ple don’t follow these basic safe- and people seem to be unaware SQatar have been urged to ty nets and social etiquette, it of the risks,” he added. strictly follow social distancing would be diffi cult to prevent the Apart from maintaining a guidelines to prevent the spread spread of Covid-19. reasonable distance, LuLu Hy- of the novel coronavirus (Cov- “To fl atten the curve, people permarket, for example, advised WISA teams up with QRCS to raise id-19). should fi rst apply commonsense shoppers to sanitise or wash A customer who frequents a and respect what other people their hands before coming to the store at told Gulf are doing to prevent them from store; suspend the use of reus- Times that many shoppers catching Covid-19. They should able bags; use cashless payment awareness about Covid-19 prevention refuse to maintain a reasonable follow the safety guidelines is- wherever possible; and to limit distance as they get items from sued by the Ministry of Public one person per household to do the shelves or while queueing at Health (MoPH),” Rose stressed. the shopping. It also dedicated QNA applied against coronavirus The awareness programmes hygiene in addition to peri- checkout counters. “Not only are these irrespon- checkouts for the elderly and Doha (Covid-19). presented included daily publi- odic examination and pre- “It is frustrating to see a lot of sible persons putting themselves vulnerable shoppers. Held at WISA’s headquarters, cations and seminars in addition vention of direct contact people don’t heed to important at risk but also other people, and LuLu stores also posted the workshop is part of a set of to promotional and educational with others. measures and regulations set by most importantly the members guidelines from MoPH on ways atar Manpower Solu- measures the company has tak- contents targeting labourers and The company had cancelled hypermarkets and supermarkets of their family. If they want to do to protecting oneself and others tions Company (WISA), en focusing on awareness and clients. the fi ngerprint system and ac- on social distancing,” said an their part and help bring back our from the infection. Qin co-operation with preventive measures applied at The workshop also touched tivated the face recognition ap- Indian expatriate in Doha, sug- normal lives, residents should do While the demand for online the Qatar Red Crescent Society its headquarters, in addition to on the series of preventive plication with the feature of lo- gesting that shoppers should do their part and co-operate with the grocery shopping continues to (QRCS), has organised a joint monitoring by fi eld visits to do- measures undertaken by the cating, in addition to activating their share in the eff orts to pro- rest of society,” she said. surge, it is learnt many residents workshop to raise awareness mestic workers in their work- company related to internal remote work mechanism for a tect other customers and staff Staff and some employees who still prefer to come physically about the preventive measures place. sanitisation and personal number of employees. from Covid-19. have been repeatedly reminding to stores and buy the items they He added that many peo- shoppers to follow the guidelines need. ple continue to ignore signage echoed the same observation Meanwhile, Carrefour Qatar Ashghal-QRCS social responsibility efforts placed at relevant areas of stores saying “such attitude doesn’t posted on its website that cus- to guide them on the distance help at all in the fi ght against tomers can purchase their needs they should keep while shop- Covid-19.” at its stores as it cannot take ping. While most of the stores now online orders at the moment. It Filipino expatriate Rose A conduct regular cleaning and is also trying to increase its ca- shared the same view saying that sanitisation, a staff said that pacity to meet next day delivery the signs and markers that most those who shop should also con- schedules.

Inspection of food outlets in Shamal

Al Shamal Municipality’s Health Control Section has conducted 28 inspection tours on food outlets in its jurisdiction to ensure compliance with the standard health condi- tions and regulations. A total of 27 slaughtered livestock carcasses were checked in addition to 1,900kg fish. The inspection campaigns were conducted in co-operation with the Medical supplies have been provided for those in quarantine through a partnership between Qatar Red Crescent Society (QRCS) and the Ministry of Municipality and Environ- Public Works Authority (Ashghal). The initiative comes in continuation of the partnership between the two parties and enhances social ment’s volunteers, who were trained responsibility eff orts. on the basic issues to look for.

QRCS secretary-general reaffi rms support to IFRC humanitarian appeal

QNA nancial resources to combat the He also stressed the importance humanitarian projects, cadres sions of the Qatar Red Crescent Interior, the Hamad Medical port the response in the various Doha risks of the spread of the coro- of humanitarian work in places and volunteers in many af- in 22 countries around the world Corporation, and the Primary countries aff ected by the coro- navirus (Covid-19) pandemic and times of confl ict, disasters flicted countries, as well as in order to co-ordinate with host Health Care Corporation, in navirus, especially the vulner- around the world, especially in and crises, especially in light of permanent co-ordination with national societies and to build terms of launching and follow- able countries that do not have he Secretary-General of poor and needy countries that the widespread global spread of the International Federation and strengthen local capacities ing-up on educational, volun- the necessary control capabili- the Qatar Red Crescent are unable to cope with its nega- the coronavirus (Covid-19 ), add- of Red Cross and Red Crescent in the face of the coronavirus. tary and medical programmes ties. TSociety (QRCS) Ali bin tive eff ects. ing that this is not new to the Qa- Societies (IFRC), with the con- At the local level, al-Ham- regarding the pandemic and ef- President of the International Hassan al-Hammadi has reaf- Al-Hammadi affi rmed in an tar Red Crescent, but rather it has tinuous support from the Qatar madi said, the QRCS plays an forts to combat it and limit its Federation of Red Cross and fi rmed the support of the QRCS exclusive statement to the Qa- been its mission since its incep- Fund for Development, to im- active role through its medical spread. Red Crescent Societies Franc- to the humanitarian appeal tar News Agency (QNA) that this tion in 1978, which is derived from plement many humanitarian sector, in close co-operation The International Red Cross esco Rocca also warned of the launched by the International principled stance stems from the the culture and genuine values of projects and programmes in the and co-ordination with the and Red Crescent Movement dangerous social eff ects that Federation of Red Cross and Red humanitarian stance of Qatar, the Qatari people. areas in need. Supreme Committee for Crisis recently appealed to the inter- may occur on the urban poor in Crescent Societies (IFRC), with which extends a helping hand to Al-Hammadi stressed that He referred to assigning of- Management, the Ministry of national community from its the West due to the outbreak of the aim of raising suffi cient fi - all needy people around the world. the QRCS is present with its fi ces and representative mis- Public Health, the Ministry of headquarters in Geneva to sup- coronavirus. Gulf Times Tuesday, March 31, 2020 3 QATAR

MoCI cautions factories against violations Service providers asked he Ministry of Commerce pels an industrial unit to high- and Industry (MoCI) has light the following aspects on the Tcautioned local factories label of the product: production against fl outing the Industrial date, expiry date, manufacturing Regulation Law. country, product formula and In posts on social media yes- name of the establishment. terday, the ministry stressed The ministry also explained to ratify contracts amid that the production and distri- that to produce some goods bution of goods in local markets without obtaining its approval is without clearly outlining the a violation of Article 5 of the said components and expiry date is a law, which states: “No indus- violation of the law. trial project may be established, The MoCI also noted that the expanded, developed, altered production of some goods with- in terms of production, merged Covid-19 measures out obtaining its approval repre- into another industrial project or sents a violation of the Industrial split into more than one project, The MoCI issues circular “Given that Covid-19 Regulation Law. undergo a change of location or on ratified contracts to is considered a global “To produce and distribute be disposed of - totally or par- hold concerts, festivals, pandemic and a force goods in local markets without tially, unless under an industrial events and special majeure that cannot be clarifying their components and licence issued by the minister or gatherings avoided or anticipated, expiry date clearly is a violation his authorised representative.” which makes it diffi cult of the Industrial Regulation Law Both violations may be pe- he Ministry of Commerce for some suppliers to fulfi l and its executive regulations, nalised with closure of the fac- and Industry (MoCI) has their obligations towards particularly Article 22, Section tory concerned in the light of the Tissued a circular on hold- consumers at the present 5,” the ministry said. applicable legal measures, the ing concerts, festivals, events time, and in line with this This provision of the law com- MoCI added. and special gatherings, compel- circular” ling contractors and providers of these services to seek con- the interests of both parties sensual agreements with clients with regard to the down-pay- following the directives to ban ments and fi nancial instalments concerts, festivals, events and made to suppliers in return special gatherings. for assuming their obligations The circular falls in line with as agreed with consumers,” the ministry’s eff orts to ensure the ministry noted. stability in business transac- The MoCI has urged all sup- tions between suppliers and pliers to “adhere to the provi- consumers while taking into ac- sions of the circular and embrace count the interests of both par- this initiative in line with their ties and avoiding material dam- social responsibility in support ages that may be caused to any of the preventive and precau- party due to the preventive and tionary measures taken by the precautionary measures imple- State to protect the health of all mented by the state to curb the members of society”. spread of the novel coronavirus The ministry will intensify its (Covid-19), the MoCI said in a inspection campaigns to ensure statement yesterday. the compliance of parties con- “Given that Covid-19 is con- cerned with their obligations as sidered a global pandemic and stipulated in the circular and to a force majeure that cannot be crack down on any violations in avoided or anticipated, which this regard. makes it diffi cult for some Further, the MoCI noted that suppliers to fulfi l their obliga- consumers play an important tions towards consumers at the role in reporting any violations present time, and in line with or infringements through the this circular, the Ministry of following communication chan- Commerce and Industry calls nels: call centre: 16001, e-mail: on service providers to ratify [email protected], Twitter: @ new contracts that outline other MOCIQATAR, Instagram: MO- dates to fulfi l their obligations CIQATAR, and the ministry’s or to seek consensual agree- application on iPhone and An- ments that take into account droid devices: MOCIQATAR QNRF to host webinar on research PHCC launches home delivery of medication he Primary Health Care - 55748093; Omar Bin Khattab projects to tackle infectious diseases Corporation (PHCC) said in - 55103047; Abu Baker Saddiq - Ta tweet that it has started a 66897736; Al Roais - 66939192; s scientists around the survey of Middle East Respira- as the whole world is counting QF partner university Weill medication home delivery service Gharrafat - 55733526; world grapple with the tory Syndrome infection: vi- on them to produce a vaccine or Cornell Medicine - Qatar, and in view of the ongoing develop- - 55798678; Leghwairiya Acoronavirus pandemic, ruses linked to hepatitis C and develop a drug to abate and treat Qatar University will present ments pertaining to Covid-19 and - 55309822; Airport - 55775194; research funded by Qatar Foun- gastroenteritis; Human Papil- Covid-19. In this region, Qatar the projects they lead during in the interest of public health. Rawdat Al Khail - 66718301; and dation that aims to tackle infec- lomavirus; infl uenza complica- Foundation and Qatar National the webinar, which runs from The corporation has advised West Bay - 66824481. tious diseases is to be placed in tions in diabetes patients; and Research Fund have helped Qa- 10am-1pm tomorrow. clients to communicate with it The corporation clarifi ed that the webinar spotlight this week. whether face masks can protect tar take a lead in the fi eld of The online event will also see through the WhatsApp num- these numbers are “only temporary The latest edition of the Re- people against viral respiratory infectious disease studies by Sheikh Dr Mohamed al-Thani, bers provided depending on the due to the current circumstances”. search Outcome Seminar se- infections. All the projects have sponsoring cutting-edge re- director, Public Health at Qa- health centre. The WhatsApp contact tim- ries – an initiative of Qatar Na- been funded by QNRF, which is a search projects, providing state- tar’s Ministry of Public Health, The health centres and their ings are from 8am-2pm and tional Research Fund (QNRF) (QF) member. of-the-art research laborato- speak about the knowledge base corresponding numbers are as from 4pm-10pm, Sunday to that highlights the impact of “QNRF is hosting this online ries, and building much-needed on coronavirus, and QNRF’s follows: Thursday. the projects it supports – will seminar at a crucial time, as the human capacity. senior programme manager for - 66989530; Al show how researchers in Qa- global community is in the grip Dr Abdul Sattar al-Taie, executive “We hope people will par- Biomedical Science and Health, Jumailiya - 55742321; tar and beyond are developing of the Covid-19 pandemic, and director, QNRF. ticipate in this Research Out- Dr Mohamed Jarrar, provide - 55783415; Al Rayyan - 33414377; Qatar Post delivering new ways to reduce the spread authorities all over the world are come Seminar to learn how our an overview of its funding for Madinat Khalifa - 55711382; Al medicines of communicable diseases, and taking unprecedented measures ultimately – fi nding cures. To researchers are addressing the infectious disease research. Thumama - 55769323; Umm Ghu- directly address the health risks to deal with this evolving crisis,” achieve these aims, a multidisci- many risks posed by infectious QNRF’s Research Outcome wailina - 66887908; Al Sheehani- Qatar Post has said it is now they create. said Dr Abdul Sattar al-Taie, plinary and multi-institutional diseases, and seek answers to Seminars promote the impor- ya - 55717941; - 55876315; delivering medicines directly to The webinar will host six executive director, QNRF. approach is required, including questions they may have.” tance and impact of research - 55723211; Qatar patients’ homes on behalf of the scientists who will present “The impact of Covid-19 has all relevant stakeholders. Researchers from the Min- to the public, and enable the University - 55722976; Al Wakra - PHCC and HMC. the outcomes of their research highlighted the importance of “This seminar provides an istry of Public Health (MoPH), exchange of knowledge and in- 55743873; - 55797899; For queries related to Qatar projects, with the topics includ- better understanding infectious opportunity to highlight the Hamad Medical Corporation formation between members of - 66887827; - Post services, one can contact ing whether the Covid-19 pan- diseases, formulating strategies critical role that scientists and (HMC), and entities includ- Qatar’s scientifi c community 55747657; Al Kaaban - 55780402; them on 104. demic can still be suppressed; a to mitigate their spread, and – researchers play in our society, ing QF member Sidra Medicine, and key stakeholders. - 55770192; Umm Slal

Qatar Post revises disinfected and sterilised working hours

n co-operation with Qatar Post has announced the ministries of inte- that some of its branches Irior and public health, will have revised working the Public Works Author- hours until further notice in ity (Ashghal), Lekhwiya view of the current health Force, and the Ministry of situation. Municipality and Environ- This was announced through a ment (MME) has carried post on social media yesterday. out a campaign to disin- The Khalifa Town, Al Khartiyat, Al fect and sterilise the In- Khor and branches will dustrial Area in Doha from operate from 9am-5pm, Sunday Street No 1 to Street No to Thursday; and from 5pm-8pm 32, an area of about 12mn on Saturday. sq m, Qatar News Agency The Al Meera Legtaifiya will reports. operate from 11am-7pm, The campaign was imple- Sunday to Thursday; and mented within a record time from 5pm-8pm on Saturday. of two days. The Rayyan, New Mansoura - The MME has recently Al Meera, General Post Off ice, carried out comprehen- LuLu Hypermarket and Wakra sive campaigns to monitor branches will operate from 7am- and raise health awareness 1pm and from 3pm-9pm, Sunday in various municipalities, to Thursday; and from 8am-11am which also included spray- and 5pm-8pm on Saturday. ing and sterilisation op- All these branches will remain erations in some locations closed on Friday. within the geographical Qatar Post also said its Industrial limits of each municipal- Area branch is temporarily ity to ensure the health and closed until further notice. safety of the public. All remaining branches will maintain their regular working hours. Gulf Times 4 Tuesday, March 31, 2020 QATAR/REGION

Ministry recalls 2013-17 BMW M6 models

The Ministry of Commerce and Industry, in and repairs. The ministry urges all custom- co-operation with Alfardan Automobiles, ers to report any violations to its Consumer announced the recall of BMW M6 models Protection and Anti-Commercial Fraud from 2013 to 2017, due to loose high-mount- Department, which processes complaints, ed third brake light. inquiries and suggestions through the fol- The ministry confirmed the recall campaign lowing channels: Call Centre: 16001, e-mail: Precautions for farm comes within the framework of its ongoing [email protected], Twitter: @ MOCIQATAR, eff orts to protect consumers and ensure Instagram: MOCIQATAR, mobile app for that vehicle dealers follow up on defects Android and IOS: MOCIQATAR. product sales hailed trict preventive and precau- entrance to distribute gloves to the and in adequate quantities. and workers at these yards. This, he tionary measures have been shoppers and the security person- The yards for selling local agricul- said, make customers go through the Simplemented at the yards for nel allow them into the market after ture products are open all days of the market with confi dence. selling local agriculture products to checking their body temperature week now instead of the earlier three Ahmed al-Shahat, another cus- curb the spread of the novel corona- and giving them hand sanitisers. days. This has helped in reducing tomer, said that all sellers follow the virus (Covid-19). Such procedures have won im- any potential crowd of customers at protective measures strictly, espe- This includes sanitisation of the mense appreciation of the custom- any given time. cially the sanitisation of hands and entrances, and corridors of the mar- ers as it indicates the keenness of the Helmi Ali, a customer, pointed out wearing gloves. He stressed that he ket in addition to distributing gloves entities concerned in the country to that all his needs of fresh products observed that the sellers wash the and masks to the customers and protect people’s health and main- were available at the market at very vegetables before displaying them helping them with hand sanitisers. tain their safety. The customers also good prices. He particularly appre- for sale in addition, the inspectors Local daily Arrayah has stressed that many types of locally ciated the strict preventive measures of the Ministry of Municipality and reported that at Al Wakra yard, produced vegetables and agriculture in place all the time for customers, Environment check their quality be- dedicated personnel stand at the products are available at good prices sellers as well as all the employees fore they reach the customers.

Iran virus cases top 40,000, death toll at 2,757

AFP tain Covid-19’s spread since it re- Tehran ported its fi rst cases on February 19. After weeks of refraining from imposing a lockdown or quaran- he number of declared coro- tine measures, Tehran decided last navirus infections in Iran Wednesday to ban all intercity travel Ttopped 40,000 yesterday, as until at least April 8. the government warned the out- There is no offi cial lockdown in break could run for several more Iran’s cities although the govern- months and cost over 10,000 lives. ment has repeatedly urged Iranians With the tally climbing, Presi- to stay at home to contain the spread dent Hassan Rouhani stood accused of the virus. of failing to take prompt action by Rouhani’s political opponents ar- some of his political opponents. gued yesterday that it was all too lit- The row came as a report by Iran’s tle, too late. anti-coronavirus committee said “Coronavirus could have been the country may struggle with the more quickly contained” if measures outbreak until at least early summer. such as “social distancing and limi- Parviz Karami, who published Patients with coronavirus disease (Covid-19) lie in beds at the ICU of Sasan tations had been considered sooner”, the study on Instagram, said 11,000 Hospital, in Tehran, yesterday. judiciary chief Ebrahim Raisi said, people would die in case of “medium quoted by ISNA news agency. government intervention”, including Health ministry spokesman Ki- The death toll had reached 2,757. Raisi, an ultra-conservative who measures already taken by Iran. anoush Jahanpour said yesterday According to Jahanpour, 13,911 of ran against Rouhani in the 2017 Potential fatalities could drop to another 117 people had died from those hospitalised have recovered, presidential election, said that “time 7,700 with “maximum” interven- the virus over the past 24 hours while 3,511 are in critical condition. is of the essence”. The Iranian people tion, such as banning movement and 3,186 new cases had been con- The Islamic republic is one of the had started “co-operating” only af- inside cities and imposing quaran- fi rmed, raising the total to more than countries worst hit by the pandemic. ter authorities appeared to take the tines, he said. 41,000. Iran has been scrambling to con- threat seriously, the offi cial said.

Oman reports 12 new infections

QNA/Agencies strictly adhere to the quar- Muscat antine procedures accord- ing to the instructions, to follow healthy habits, to ad- he Omani Ministry here to the instructions for of Health announced social separation and not to Tyesterday that 12 new leave homes except for ne- cases of the coronavirus cessities. (Covid-19) were registered KUWAIT REPORTS in the country, bringing the 11 NEW CASES total number of cases regis- The Kuwaiti Ministry of tered to 179. Health also announced yes- The ministry confi rmed terday that 11 people tested that 29 coronavirus cases positive for novel coronavi- have recovered, according rus (Covid-19) in the past 24 to a statement reported by hours. News Agency. This brings the country’s The Ministry of Health tally of confi rmed virus cas- called upon everyone to es up to 266.

Air strikes hit Sanaa

Reuters Dubai

he Saudi-led coalition fi ghting the Houthi Tgroup in Yemen car- ried out several air strikes yesterday on the capital Sanaa, witnesses and media said, killing dozens of horses at a military school. A number of sensitive sites including the presi- dential palace compound, the school and an air base close to Sanaa airport were hit, and loud explosions were heard across the city, residents said. The coalition said the operation was aimed at destroying “legitimate military targets including Houthi ballistic batter- ies which threaten civilian lives”. Houthi-run Al Ma- sirah news said 70 horses were killed and 30 wounded in strikes on the military school. Bombings in Sanaa city have been rare since Sep- tember when Saudi Ara- bia launched indirect talks with the Houthi movement, which controls Sanaa and most of northern Yemen. Gulf Times Tuesday, March 31, 2020 5 QATAR Volunteers: Response to country’s appeal is a human obligation

“Response to the appeal of the country is a human called for integrating efforts, fighting rumors, and and responsibility of each person towards the country belonging to different nationalities, who are and moral obligation, especially during crises,” stopping the circulation of false information, to raise and society,” adding that following the precautionary contributing to the efforts of Qatar Charity to curb said many persons, participating in Qatar Charity’s awareness in society. instructions and measures, and staying at home at the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) by distributing (QC) volunteering initiative aimed at contributing Iman Al-Kaabi, a media figure and social media this time is a service to the country. multilingual awareness leaflets and personal hygiene to the efforts exerted by the State of Qatar to curb influencer, said, “Volunteering to limit the spread of A volunteer Jihan Mohamed Ahn emphasized items. the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19). They also coronavirus (COVID-19) reflects the national sense the importance of volunteering, especially during The initiative was launched to support the civil crises, adding that it is a great experience and hoping society, respond quickly to any emergency at any to achieve more than the required, with maintaining time, and benefit from volunteers’ capabilities for the quality of work and adhering to instructions community service. and safety and security requirements. Another volunteer Hamda Saleh Al-Kaabi, said, “The experience of volunteering with Qatar Charity is very useful, and I hope to do a lot to help our country during this crisis,” calling on others to participate in the volunteering efforts of the country. The number of volunteers with Qatar Charity has risen to more than 8,000 persons Gulf Times 6 Tuesday, March 31, 2020 ARAB WORLD/AFRICA

In Jerusalem, a Palestinians mark Land Day protests from home

Palestinian teacher AFP Protests had been scheduled Jerusalem along the border with Gaza, but were cancelled due to fears of coronavirus. The West Bank too faces challenges ost Israeli Arabs and was largely quiet, with Pales- Palestinians com- tinians asked to mark the day in Mmemorated the Land their homes. Day from inside their homes for In northern Israel, Arab citi- under lockdown the fi rst time yesterday, in a bid zens went to their windows and to stop the spread of the corona- rooftops to sing, wave Palestin- virus. ian fl ags and read poetry. Reuters busy all of the time,” said Sara, The annual event usually sees Land Day commemorates Jerusalem whose children are aged fi ve, thousands of Israeli Arabs and the killing of six Israeli Arabs six and 11. Palestinians take to the streets by security forces during a 1976 Sara’s husband, Victor, a in demonstrations against Israeli march against Israeli plans to Palestinian English receptionist at a hotel closed policies. But this year with Israel seize large sections of land in the teacher, Jizelle Sara, by the lockdown, sees a bright and the Palestinian territories north of the country. Afaces a double chal- side. “Today we are gathered locked down to limit the spread Arab Israelis make up around lenge while observing a par- all together as a family, which of Covid-19, organisers gave 20% of the country’s popula- Palestinians commemorate Land Day by waving the national flag from their balcony in Ramallah in the tial lockdown in her Jerusalem is a very positive thing, that speeches online instead. tion. occupied West Bank, yesterday, rather than the usual street marches due to the Covid-19 pandemic. home during the coronavirus the person stays and sees his crisis. children, plays with them and Not only does she have to cares for them, when work fi nd ways to keep her own would usually have unfortu- children busy, but she has to nately taken us away from our ensure her pupils are up to family,” said Victor, 41. date with schoolwork online. “I think we are stronger “Teaching online is not easy than corona. Everyone can be at all since you have to connect stronger than corona,” said Jordan takes home thousands and follow up with the girls Victor. “Of course there is remotely and not face-to-face some boredom, but we shall — and besides, the kids are at overcome this boredom and home 24/7,” said Sara, 42. overcome this with good Like families staying at health and peace.” of quarantined returnees home all over the world as part Israel has reported more of eff orts to halt the spread of than 4,000 coronavirus infec- coronavirus, the Saras pass tions and 15 deaths. AFP the time with their children Authorities have tightened Amman with online worksheets, ex- a partial lockdown, requir- ercise, colouring books and ing citizens to stay within 100 computer games. metres of home and setting ordanian authorities yes- “You have to keep them sanctions for defying rules. terday started to take home Jabout 5,000 people quaran- tined in hotels to guard against the spread of coronavirus since their return to the country two weeks ago. An AFP photographer said soldiers greeted the evacuees with flowers as they emerged from the luxury hotels used to quarantine them. They were being driven home Palestinian woman Jizelle Sara, 42, washes dishes with her after medical checks from Am- five-year-old daughter Silva, while observing a partial lockdown man and Dead Sea hotels, to be to curb the spread of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) at their followed by two more weeks home in Jerusalem. of supervised, precautionary quarantine, officials said. Jordan, which has declared four deaths from coronavirus and 259 cases of contamina- tion, has imposed an army- Coronavirus cases in enforced curfew in an effort to contain the pandemic. The kingdom has also sus- Palestine rise to 115 pended all flights and public transport, while only bakeries and pharmacies have been al- QNA estinian Ministry of Interior lowed to stay open. A Jordanian soldier greets the newly-weds with flowers as they leave a Dead Sea resort where they have been quarantined for 14 days, Ramallah spokesman Ghassan Nimr. The Jordanian Ministry of approximately 60 kilometres south of the capital Amman, yesterday. He said in the daily brief- Health announced yesterday ing on the coronavirus in the fourth coronavirus (Cov- agency, QNA reported. Hos- yesterday, more than a week between you and other clients,” said banks will operate with ix new cases of corona- Palestine, that the six cases id-19) death in the country. pital Director Mohamed al- after they were closed as part of read a text message banks have the minimum number of em- virus were confirmed were of people from the vil- Health Minister Dr Saad Ghazou said that the deceased the kingdom’s measures to curb sent to their clients. ployees and will carry out basic Sthis morning in the lage of Qatanna, east of Je- Jaber said that the fourth death was 81 years old, who died as the spread of the novel corona- People queued outside banks services, including handling West Bank, bringing the to- rusalem, where along with had been registered at the King a result of complications from virus, DPA reported. as security personnel organ- cash deposits and checks for tal to 106 and 115 overall in the nearby Biddo village, has Abdullah University Hospital, the coronavirus, which caused “You must wear a mask and ised the lines and ensured there traders, as well as salary with- Palestine with nine in the reported 39 positive corona- according to a statement re- her severe pneumonia. gloves while visiting the branch was enough distance between drawals for people who cannot Gaza Strip, according to Pal- virus cases. ported by Jordan (Petra) news Banks reopened in Jordan and keep at least two metres individuals. The central bank do it through a cash machine. US probes child labour in Ivory Coast cocoa supply chains

Reuters Abidjan

S customs authorities have asked cocoa trad- Uers to report where and when they encounter child la- bour in their supply chains in top grower Ivory Coast, three industry sources said, following calls from American lawmakers to ban some imports. Cocoa traders and choco- late companies including Mars, Hershey, Cargill and Barry Cal- lebaut, have repeatedly missed internationally agreed targets for reducing the worst forms of child labour from supply lines in West Africa, all sides have ac- knowledged. Pressure in the United States is now increasing after two sen- ators asked the US Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) last July to use its authority to block the im- port of Ivorian cocoa produced with forced labour. The CBP inquiry comes in the form of a 25-part questionnaire seen by Reuters and a request for File photo shows a farmer open a cocoa pod at a cocoa farm in Ivory Coast. Right: Security forces patrol during an operation to rescue children from child traff ickers in Aboisso, Ivory Coast. various documents. It was sent this month to com- with the information it gathers, an industry group.”It could push it had fully responded to, but cocoa sector. He pointed to a identifi ed, a list of all suppliers atic countries”. The US imported panies including Cargill, Barry but the spokesperson said the millions of poor farmers deeper Reuters was unable to ascertain study published by Tulane Uni- of imports into the United States over $600mn of cocoa beans and Callebaut, Olam, Sucden and agency has the authority to block into poverty, even though the whether it was the same one. versity in 2018. It estimated from 2017-19 and audits by cer- paste from Ivory Coast last year, Ecom, according to the sources, imports when information indi- vast majority of them are inno- Mars said it was working with only 2,000 of the 1.2mn children tifi cation schemes. more than half of total US im- who are from companies that re- cates they have been made with cent of such practices.” CBP to provide any information working in Ivory Coast’s cocoa In one part, it asks: “How ports and around 15% of annual ceived it. forced or indentured labour. Olam referred Reuters to the the agency requested but did not sector can be considered forced many cases of the worst forms Ivorian exports of those prod- CBP has “engaged with the Even a partial blockage could WCF. Barry Callebaut said it say whether it had received a child labourers because the vast of child labour and/or forced la- ucts. The multinational compa- cocoa industry to trace cocoa infl ict steep costs on suppliers, aimed to eradicate child labour questionnaire. majority work on family farms. bour have you detected in your nies that received the question- supply chains and understand increase the price of chocolate from its supply chain by 2025. About 2.1mn children work in The International Labour Or- supply chain? When did you de- naire export about 90% of Ivory industry internal controls and and have a crippling eff ect on Cargill said it had participated cocoa in Ivory Coast and Ghana, ganisation’s defi nition of child tect them? How many have been Coast’s cocoa. compliance regimes,” a CBP Ivory Coast exports which rely in meetings with CBP and sub- the world’s number two produc- labour includes only children resolved? When do you expect to Last year, CBP blocked gold spokesperson told Reuters. heavily on US buyers. mitted information about its er, according to a report pub- forced to work by someone out- resolve the outstanding cases?” from artisanal mines in Demo- The text of the questionnaire “We believe that any US ban supply chains. lished in 2018 by international side their families. CBP says it acts on informa- cratic Republic of Congo and seen by Reuters did not specify a on cocoa imports from (Ivory Representatives from Sucden civil society groups. The CBP questionnaire re- tion concerning specifi c compa- diamonds from the Marange deadline for a response. Coast) will hurt, not help,” said and Ecom declined to comment. But Scobey, the WCF presi- quests maps with GPS co-ordi- nies and products and “does not Diamond Fields in Zimbabwe Reuters was unable to de- Richard Scobey, the head of the Hershey said it had received dent, said the use of forced child nates for all suppliers, corrective generally target entire product that it suspected of using forced termine what CBP plans to do World Cocoa Foundation (WCF), a questionnaire from CBP that labour was rare in Ivory Coast’s plans for when child labour is lines or industries in problem- labour. Gulf Times Tuesday, March 31, 2020 7 AFRICA Nigerians brace for lockdown as Africa tries to halt coronavirus

By Celia Lebur, AFP sprawling Lagos will be a mammoth The streets of Ghana’s capital Sunday became the latest coun- Lagos challenge as millions live crammed Accra were also empty as most tries to record their fi rst deaths, into overcrowded slums and rely on people in two key regions ap- bringing the number of African daily earnings to survive. peared to be following a presi- fatalities to around 150 of nearly ore than 20mn Nigeri- In the ramshackle outdoor dential order to stay indoors after 4,800 recorded cases. ans yesterday scram- markets of Lagos Island anx- it went into force overnight. In the Democratic Republic of Mbled to prepare for lock- ious locals complained they did Dozens of nations around Af- Congo, two new cases were re- down in sub-Saharan Africa’s not have the money to stock up, rica have imposed restrictions on ported in the volatile South Kivu biggest city Lagos and the capital while at higher-end supermar- movements, ranging from night- region and an adviser to the na- Abuja, as the continent struggled kets better-off residents queued time curfews to total shutdowns. tion’s president announced he to curb the spread of coronavirus. to buy supplies. The UN yesterday called for had tested positive. President Muhammadu Buhari “Two weeks is too long. I don’t a $2.5tn aid package to help de- Kenya, which now has 50 re- has ordered a two-week “cessa- know how we will cope,” said veloping countries weather the ported cases, yesterday con- tion of all movements” in the key student Abdul Rahim, 25, as he pandemic, including debt can- fi rmed that it now had com- cities from 2200 GMT to ward off helped his sister sell foodstuff s cellation and a health recovery munity transmission of the an explosion of cases in Africa’s from a stall in Jankarra market. “Marshal Plan”. coronavirus. most populous country. “People are hungry and they Experts warn that Africa is Police in South Sudan, one Businesses are to be shuttered, won’t be able to stock food.” highly vulnerable to Covid-19, of a few nations in Africa yet to non-food shops closed and peo- City authorities have pledged given the weak state of health confi rm a case, enforced strict ple made to stay at home as the to provide basic provisions to systems across the continent. new rules, shutting shops selling authorities look to track down 200,000 households but the The number of infections still non-essential items and limiting possible carriers of the disease central government in Africa’s lags far behind Europe but test- passengers in public transport. after reporting 111 confi rmed leading oil producer is already ing has been limited and the fi g- Mauritius, which has 128 cases cases and one death so far. facing fi nancial strain as the price ures are growing rapidly. — the worst in East Africa — has Enforcing the restrictions in of crude has collapsed. Angola and Ivory Coast on extended its lockdown to April 15. People’s temperatures are measured at a border between Abuja and the Nasarawa State yesterday. Niger opposition leader released in virus scare

AFP Niamey Ugandan pastor jailed

he main opposition fi gure in for denying pandemic Niger, Hama Amadou, who has Tbeen in prison since last No- Ugandan authorities have charged The pastor faces a jail term of up vember for alleged baby smuggling, is and jailed a controversial pastor who to seven years. among more than 1,500 inmates who allegedly denied the existence of the Yiga, who runs a church and televi- are being released early because of the new coronavirus in Africa, police said sion station, has a massive following coronavirus pandemic. yesterday. and is known for holding contro- People board a commuter bus in Bulawayo yesterday. Amadou’s name is among those of The prominent cleric, Augustine versial religious views and claiming 1,540 prisoners who have been par- Yiga, is accused by prosecutors of prophetic powers. doned by President Mahamadou Iss- telling his Revival Christian Church on Uganda has so far reported 33 oufou “for humanitarian reasons and Friday, in comments carried by local cases of the virus. to reduce prison numbers” because of television stations, that there is “no Ugandan President Yoweri Musev- the pandemic, according to a list read coronavirus in Uganda and Africa”. eni has urged people to stay home Zimbabwe locks down on state radio. “Pastor Yiga of the Revival but has stopped short of ordering a A source close to Amadou con- Christian Church was charged and re- lockdown. fi rmed the former premier and par- manded to prison for doing acts likely Schools, places of entertainment liamentary speaker “is defi nitely to cause the spread of Covid-19,” said and worship and some agricultural concerned by the presidential pardon Uganda police spokesman Patrick markets have been shut for a month to combat coronavirus and in theory will be leaving prison Onyango. and people have been banned from (today).” Amadou has several months “Claiming that Covid-19 doesn’t using public transport, and being Reuters Zimbabwe has recorded just seven inter-city bus rank was closed and rows left to serve of a controversial one- exist in Africa and Uganda under- more than three to a car, or one on a Harare coronavirus cases and one death, but of wooden stalls used by vegetable ven- year jail term. mines government eff orts in fighting private motorbike. President Emmerson Mnangagwa said dors abandoned. The 70-year-old, dubbed ‘The the epidemic and exposes the public Last week a court in the capital in a televised address that citizens A few blocks from the police station Phoenix’ for his political comebacks, to great danger of laxity in observ- charged six Chinese nationals and imbabwe yesterday began a should take the restrictions on move- in the middle class suburb of Mabelr- ran against Issoufou in presidential ing the guidelines on its control and two Ugandans with “an act likely to 21-day nationwide lockdown, ment seriously. eign, 73-year-old grandmother Angela elections in March 2016, but his cam- prevention,” he added. spread infection of disease” after the Zfollowing South Africa in im- “I want all of you to spend the next Nerwande sat on an improvised stool paign was marred from the start. But the pastor’s lawyer, Wilber- Ugandans allegedly helped the Chi- plementing tough anti-coronavirus 21 days acting as if you already have the selling vegetables on her stall. He was arrested in 2015, on his re- force Kayiwa, said Yiga denied the nese nationals escape self-quarantine measures that are likely to hurt an econ- virus...would you want to infect your “What will my grandchildren eat if I turn from exile and was later accused charge of promoting the spread of at a hotel. Two of the Chinese had omy already suff ering from hyperinfl a- friends, would you want to infect your stay at home? At my age I am not afraid that he and others, including one of his the virus. tested positive for the virus. tion and food shortages. families, would you want to infect your of dying. If they want to arrest me let wives, smuggled babies into Nigeria But unlike neighbouring South Af- countrymen? Of course not. So, keep them come,” she said. via Benin for wealthy couples in Niger. rica, where many citizens defi ed calls your distance,” Mnangagwa said. In a statement, Zimbabwe Police He denied the charges as a fi x, and Amadou was given a 12-month term Niger, one of the poorest countries to stay indoors and some clashed with He said the security forces would spokesman Assistant Commissioner was forced to campaign for the presi- in absentia. in the world, has recorded 22 cases security forces at the weekend, Zimba- enforce the lockdown “with a listening Paul Nyathi said: “The law is very clear, dency from behind bars. In November last year, he returned of coronavirus, three of them fatal, bweans mostly stayed home. ear”. those who don’t comply will be arrested He was released on medical to Niger to serve the remaining eight since March 19. Zimbabwe’s police have a reputation The fi nance ministry said it had and prosecuted.” grounds on March 16, 2016, four days months of his sentence. The presidential pardon was an- for brutality and were yesterday man- made available Z$500mn (US$20mn) In Nigeria’s capital Abuja and the before the second round of the vot- He went to France for two weeks nounced last week on television. ning checkpoints on highways into the and would unfreeze 4,000 posts in the main city Lagos, those who could aff ord ing, and fl ew to France. in February this year for medical rea- Many countries around the world capital, questioning the few motorists health sector. to stock up queued at shops ahead of a Issoufou went on to win with 92% sons. have taken measures to release pris- on the roads. Central Harare’s streets were desert- 14-day lockdown starting at 11pm yes- of the run-off ballot. His party, Moden, named him its oners early to ease pressure on over- The main opposition party, the MDC ed yesterday. terday. With the opposition boycotting the candidate for presidential elections crowded jails, which health experts Alliance, supports the lockdown and Banks, government offi ces and busi- Angola recorded its fi rst two corona- election, Amadou only picked up 7% due in December this year, although say off er ideal opportunities for criticised the government for not im- nesses were shut. virus deaths at the weekend, local news of the vote. he may be legally excluded from run- highly contagious respiratory virus to posing it earlier. In the poor township of Mbare, the agency Angop reported. After a one-day trial in March 2017, ning because of his conviction. spread. S Africa’s vulnerable queue to access grants early amid lockdown

By Sofia Christensen and shopping centre with much- rus,” she grumbled. “We have chil- to battle their way through su- Max Matavire, AFP needed cash in her purse. dren and grandchildren to feed.” permarkets and lug themselves Johannesburg “But today we are going to eat,” Further down the line, home on erratic minibuses. she exclaimed. 87-year-old Nomonde Maphai “You can see my leg, I can’t “Now I can aff ord to buy food craned her neck to check on the even talk right now because it’s so n day four of a corona- until after this coronavirus is queue. “I used my last bag of painful,” said Christine Mhlongo, virus lockdown, Ntombi over.” mealie meal (corn fl our) so I have 64, wincing as she hobbled past ODlamini was ushered past Many like Dlamini have grown to buy some more today,” she the checkout counter, clutching shoppers snaking outside a mall concerned about their fate, as said, determined not to return a bag of frozen chicken feet she in Johannesburg’s Alexandra thousands of workers and busi- home empty-handed. bought with her disability grant. township, where she had come to nesses will now also rely on gov- The process was more orderly “It is diffi cult to get to shops withdraw her social grant. ernment funding to survive the in Johannesburg, South Africa’s and places,” echoed 61-year old One of over 17mn South Af- 21-day shutdown. fi nancial capital, where people Grace, who was born with a limp. ricans who live off social grants “We note the anxiety and fear were allowed to access pay points “Last week I didn’t even come from the state, the 60-year-old that this pandemic has caused before offi cial opening times. to the shopping centre because single grandmother was unable millions of South African fami- Yet the South African Social there were too many people.” to stock up on groceries before lies, especially the most vulner- Security Agency yesterday con- People on social grants are also the lockdown began. able,” said Social Development fi rmed the death of two elderly the most vulnerable to coronavi- Shops were crammed and she Minister Lindiwe Zulu last week. people — one in Johannesburg rus, which disproportionately af- was waiting for the grant, which “There is no need to panic,” and the other in Cape Town — fects the elderly and unwell. she usually receives on the fi rst she said. “Social grants will be following reports that they had More than 1,300 cases have day of each month. paid from (the) 30 and 31 of this collapsed in a queue. now been detected in South Af- With empty cupboards and month.” At the Pan African Mall in Al- rica, with three deaths. four grandchildren to feed, In the southern city of Port exandra, black tape on the ground “I am very scared of coronavi- Dlamini breathed a sigh of relief Elizabeth, a major port in the marked a mandatory distance rus,” said Leti Maluleka, 57, who when the government brought poor Eastern Cape province, between customers — though the survives off social grants and forward the payment of social slow-moving queues stretched space remained shorter than the shares a shack with ten people grants to the elderly and disabled around blocks as people lined up Elderly men and women queue for government grants in Soweto yesterday. recommended minimum of 1.5m. in Alexandra town. “I am wash- to pre-empt overcrowding. in front of pay points. But queue jumps were set up ing my hands, but what more can “I am very very happy because In the outlying Kwazakhele noring welfare offi cials who tried “We have been queueing like not wish to be named, angrily for those collecting social grants. we do,” she asked. “We are plenty there was no food,” Dlamini told township, hundreds of elderly to restore order and enforce so- this over time, why stop us now,” waving her walking stick. After pocketing their money, at the house. If one gets infected, AFP, as she walked out of the people pushed and shoved, ig- cial distancing. said an elderly woman who did “We don’t care about that vi- the elderly and disabled still had then it is going to infect us all.” Gulf Times 8 Tuesday, March 31, 2020 AMERICAS Hospital ship sails into New York

Reuters 2,405 deaths and Park, and the white tents being “We allowed the seeds to be New York 140,904 infected set up evoked a wartime feel in an planted. And now there is noth- island of green typically used by ing to do but wait for the bloom. The US Centers for Disease New Yorkers to exercise, picnic A lot of these deaths are already n a hopeful image that cap- Control and Prevention (CDC) and enjoy the fi rst signs of spring. percolating,” said Dana Miller, tured the spirit of a national yesterday reported 140,904 The makeshift facility, provid- 61, of Belmont, Massachusetts, Imobilisation against the cases of coronavirus, and ed by Mount Sinai Health System a retired health policy offi cial in coronavirus, a Navy hospital ship said the number of deaths and non-profi t organization Sa- the US government. docked in New York yesterday as had risen to 2,405. maritan’s Purse, is expected to President Donald Trump, who the city pleaded for more help to Over the weekend, the CDC be ready to accept patients today initially played down the risk of stave off the deadly outbreak at updated its case count to but will not take walk-ins, and the outbreak to Americans, said its US epicentre. 122,653 and said 2,112 people admissions and transfers will be his administration was seeking to Painted a gleaming white and had died across the country, managed by Mount Sinai, de Bla- secure hazard pay for healthcare adorned with giant red crosses, but said that the numbers sio said. providers in direct contact with the 1,000-bed USNS Comfort were preliminary and had not De Blasio, among a grow- the virus. sailed up the Hudson River, ac- been confirmed by individual ing chorus of offi cials who have “We are looking at that and companied by a fl otilla of sup- states. voiced frustration at the Trump we are looking at that either as port ships and helicopters hov- The CDC’s tally of the administration’s handling of the an amendment or something,” ering ahead, before docking at a respiratory illness known as crisis, said the death toll in his Trump, who is up for re-election Midtown Manhattan pier. Covid-19, caused by a new city would rise soon if Washing- in November, told Fox News a day New York City Mayor Bill de coronavirus, was as of 4pm ton did not provide more medical after he abandoned a hotly criti- Blasio and New York state Gover- ET on March 29. supplies and assistance. cized plan to get the economy up nor , a prominent The CDC figures do not “Sunday is D-Day, we need and running by mid-April. public fi gure in the battle to stop necessarily reflect cases help by Sunday,” he told CNN. Trump also has extended his the coronavirus outbreak, were reported by individual states. In Los Angeles, another Navy original 15-day nationwide stay- among the dignitaries waiting hospital ship, the USNS Mercy, at-home order for another 30 on the dock when the converted began accepting patients on days, a step that many Americans oil tanker arrived at about 11am overrun with patients suff ering Sunday, also to treat non-coro- The USNS Comfort passes the Statue of Liberty as it enters New York Harbor yesterday. accepted with resignation. EDT. from Covid-19, the respiratory navirus patients. “I’m sad to be locked inside, The Comfort will treat non- illness caused by the virus. Authorities in New Orleans In nearby Washington, DC, which originated in China and has on Sunday as a possible outcome, but I think it’s for the best,” said coronavirus patients, including New York state accounts for were setting up a fi eld hospital at congressional offi cials an- infected about three-quarters of a but Birx’s assessment appeared Mia Siracusa, 24, a data manager those who require surgery and almost half of the country’s more the Ernest N Morial Convention nounced that the US Capitol million people around the world. to suggest the fi gures could be a ordered to work out of her apart- critical care, the Navy said. than 144,000 cases and more Center — the same site where would be closed to the public “If we do things together well fl oor rather than a ceiling. ment in Brooklyn, whose live-in “It’s a wartime atmosphere and than a third of its more than thousands of Hurricane Katrina through April. — almost perfectly — we could reported boyfriend is from Italy and whose we all have to pull together,” De 2,500 deaths, according to a Reu- refugees suff ered in 2005 — to They had previously said it get in the range of 100,000 to earlier this month that models mother is a New York City hospi- Blasio said after the ship’s arrival. ters tally. handle the expected overfl ow of would be closed until the end of 200,000 fatalities,” Dr Deborah from the US Centers for Disease tal nurse. He said preparations for the The United States has the most patients. March. Birx, co-ordinator of the White Control and Prevention project- “I get frustrated when people ship, including dredging, took cases in the world. Maryland Governor Larry US health offi cials are urging House’s coronavirus task force, ed that 200,000 to 1.7mn people don’t stay in,” she said. eight days, much less than the To ease the pressure, con- Hogan issued a “stay-at-home” Americans to follow stay-at- told NBC’s Today show. could die and between 160mn “I am frustrated that our fed- two weeks initially expected. struction of a 68-bed fi eld hos- order as cases in the state contin- home orders and other measures Dr , a top US and 214mn people could be in- eral government didn’t get a han- Hospitals in the city have been pital began on Sunday in Central ued to rise. to contain the spread of the virus, health offi cial, cited those gures fi fected. dle on this sooner.”

Cuomo pleads for doctors, J&J, Moderna sign deals to produce possible vaccines nurses from other states Reuters deal with the US government to cre- fi ve or six experimental vaccine can- vaccines in development, according to Washington ate enough manufacturing capacity to didates, with the hopes of having two the World Health Organization. make more than 1bn doses of a vaccine. or three successful vaccines, BARDA But it is still not clear that people Reuters ‘Cuomo would a better It has chosen a candidate but will director said in a phone develop lasting immunity to this vi- New York candidate than Biden’ he US government has cut deals not begin testing it in people until interview. rus, or what it will take for a vaccine to with Johnson & Johnson and September. Experts have estimated it could be be protective. President Donald Trump said yester- TModerna Inc and said it is in Moderna, which this month began 12-18 months before a safe and eff ec- “What you need to do is take an as- ew York Governor Andrew day that New York governor Andrew talks with at least two other compa- very early tests of its vaccine candi- tive vaccine wins regulatory approval. sessment of what the most likely can- Cuomo called yesterday for Cuomo, whose popularity has surged nies to expand manufacturing capac- date in people, also signed a deal with “Government and industry is working didates are and invest at risk in those,” Nhealthcare workers elsewhere to thanks to his handling of the coronavi- ity within the United States for vac- the Biomedical Advanced Research in unprecedented ways,” Bright said. said Seth Berkley, chief executive of help the state’s overwhelmed hospitals rus outbreak in the state, would make cines to prevent the new coronavirus and Development Authority (BARDA), The hope is to work “as quickly as the Global Alliance for Vaccines and battle the coronavirus and made a plea a better candidate to run against him even before safe and eff ective ones part of the US Department of Health possible and manufacture enough of Immunisation (GAVI). for bipartisanship and “partnership” in November’s elections than Demo- become available. and Human Services. it for us and the rest of the world in a “The earlier you make that deci- with US President Donald Trump. cratic frontrunner . There are currently no approved The arrangements are part of the very short timeframe.” sion, the more likely you are to have Speaking at a makeshift hospital in Cuomo, 62, is not in the running in the treatments or vaccines specifi cally for federal government’s eff ort to encour- The agency plans to take over manufacturing in place, but the less Manhattan preparing to receive its fi rst Democratic primaries, but his handling Covid-19, the respiratory disease that age drugmakers to be able to produce manufacturing of Moderna’s vaccine confi dent you are about whether the patients on Monday, Cuomo sought to of the crisis in New York, the epicentre of has killed more than 35,000 people massive amounts of Covid-19 vac- candidate to enable the Cambridge, vaccine will work,” Berkley said. divert attention from any tension with the coronavirus pandemic in the United and infected over 745,000 globally in cines even before any are proven to Massachusetts-based biotech to focus Typically, decisions on whether to Trump, with whom he has tussled in States with some 60,000 reported just a few months. work. on testing it in larger trials. move forward with a vaccine are made recent days over the distribution of cases, had seen his approval rating sky- No vaccine is expected to be ready The J&J eff ort will be funded in part BARDA hopes to speed up the back after safety trials and preliminary ef- ventilators in storage. rocket from 41% in February to 71%. for use until at least 2021, as they must by about $420mn from BARDA. end of the vaccine manufacturing fi cacy trials have been completed. “I am not engaging the president in “I’ll be honest, I think he’d be a still be widely tested in humans be- The agency told Reuters it also plans process, which involves ensuring that J&J said it will begin human test- politics,” said Cuomo, who has emerged better candidate than Sleepy Joe, I fore being administered to hundreds to spend an unnamed amount to ramp they are made and packaged according ing in September, with an eye toward as a leading national voice on the coro- wouldn’t mind running against An- of millions, if not billions, of people to up manufacturing for Moderna’s Cov- to standards set by the US Food and having a vaccine ready under an emer- navirus pandemic. “My only goal is to drew. I don’t mind running against Joe prevent infection. id-19 vaccine candidate. Drug Administration. gency use authorisation in early 2021. engage the president in partnership.” Biden,” the president told Fox News, J&J yesterday announced a $1bn BARDA ultimately plans to support There are dozens of coronavirus New York is at the epicentre of the using his derogatory nickname for crisis. Cuomo has called his state the Biden, the 77-year-old who served as “canary in the coal mine,” predicting vice president for Barack Obama. the virus would overwhelm other states But he also said that much of Field hospital AI predicts which patients in similar ways. Cuomo’s success in tackling the dis- Cuomo said 66,497 people had test- ease was due to the support given by get deadly ‘wet lung’ ed positive in New York, up about 7,000 the federal government. from Sunday, and that 1,218 New York- “We’ve sent them a lot of stuff . Well, Researchers in the US and China reported yesterday they have ers had died from the virus, up from the one of the reasons he’s successful is developed an artificial intelligence tool that is able to accurately previous day’s total of 965 deaths. because we’ve helped make him suc- predict which newly infected patients with the novel coronavirus go He called on healthcare professionals cessful. Now if he’s going to run that’s on to develop severe lung disease. from across the United States to come fine,” said Trump, himself a New Yorker Once deployed, the algorithm could assist doctors in making and help New York’s hospitals cope who only recently changed his off icial choices about where to prioritise care in resource-stretched health with the crisis. residence to Florida. care systems, said Megan Coff ee, a physician and professor at New He promised New York healthcare York University’s Grossman School of Medicine who co-authored a workers would return the favor to other paper on the finding in the journal Computers, Materials & Continua. parts of the country that might need dealing with the coronavirus was akin The tool discovered several surprising indicators that were most help later. “Please come help us in New to a war, adding: “Then let’s act that strongly predictive of who went on to develop so-called acute York now,” Cuomo told a briefi ng at the way.” respiratory disease syndrome (ARDS), a severe complication of the temporary hospital erected at the Jacob Cuomo said that he took Trump’s Covid-19 illness that fills the lungs with fluid and kills around 50% of K Javits Convention Center in Manhat- comment that he would make a better coronavirus patients who get it. tan. “We need relief.” Democratic candidate than Joe Biden as The team applied a machine learning algorithm to data from 53 The governor appealed for unity and a compliment but reiterated that he had coronavirus patients across two hospitals in Wenzhou, China, bipartisan co-operation in the fi ght no plans to run for president. finding that changes in three features — levels of the liver against the virus. “The president commented on a poll enzyme alanine aminotransferase (ALT), reported body aches, “In this situation, there are no red states that said people were pleased with my and haemoglobin levels — were most accurately predictive of and there are no blue states and there are leadership. I thank him for that.” subsequent, severe disease. Using this information along with other no red casualties and there are no blue Cuomo stressed he did not want to A view of a temporary hospital set up by members of the California National Guard factors, the tool was able to predict risk of ARDS with up to 80% casualties. It’s red, white and blue. This get into a political dispute with Trump in Indio, California. The new field hospital with 125 beds will help ease the burden on accuracy. virus doesn’t discriminate,” he said. and he was not going to “rise to the bait the local hospital system amid the coronavirus crises. Neither age nor sex were useful predictors either, even though He said he agreed with Trump that of a political challenge.” other studies have found men over 60 to be at higher risk.

Nextdoor, the network for neighbours, grows in age of social distancing

By Glenn Chapman, AFP with neighbours. Italy, Spain, and the US. “Happy to do any errands that Nextdoor is also being used as to provide neighbourhood-spe- ous content to the social network San Francisco “What we are seeing is prox- “I am really touched by the don’t require heavy lifting,” one a platform to support local busi- cifi c updates about what the state while also directly challenging it imity matters more than any- amount of community spirited- user in the suburbs of the US nesses; collect donations for food knows and is doing regarding the in the online community. thing right now,” Nextdoor chief ness; people helping out, shop- capital wrote. “I’m a fantastic banks, and connect parents deal- coronavirus. “If you post something non- here are off ers to pick up executive Sarah Friar told AFP. ping for one another,” said Next- grocery shopper too!” ing with educating children at “I fi nd it really valuable for sensical, people will call you out groceries or medicine for “There is a real need in our door user Paulina Borsook. Nextdoor users share word home because schools are closed. hyperlocal news,” Borsook said on it,” Borsook said. Tneighbours, to share sup- lives for people who live close by.” Borsook lives on a hill over- of which restaurants have take- “There is genuine isolation, of Nextdoor, adding that neigh- “There is more a sense of ‘we plies, or walk people’s dogs — Nextdoor is free. The only ca- looking Monterey Bay on the away food, what precautions are loneliness, but there is also kind- bours are posting information “I are all in this together.’” and even intel on where to fi nd veat is that users must verify who edge of Silicon Valley, and is in place at local markets — and ness kicking in,” Friar said. “Us- am not getting anywhere else.” Like Facebook, Nextdoor has scarce items like toilet paper. they are and live in the real-world among those grappling with not even ideas to soothe one another age is off the charts at the mo- While Nextdoor watches for seen advertising dip due to the For people forced to stay home location that comports with the venturing outside because their at a stressful time. ment.” misinformation or scams, it ben- economic disruption of shelter- to ride out the coronavirus pan- boundaries of the online neigh- age makes it risky in a time of “I will be putting our Christ- Nextdoor has long collabo- efi ts from being based on verify- ing-in-place, but it is also catch- demic, Nextdoor, a hyperlocal bourhood network they wish to coronavirus. mas lights back up tomorrow rated with agencies and govern- ing that those who join the social ing the eyes of restaurants, health social network, has found itself join. “I am used to getting lemons to add some cheer back to the ments to connect with local citi- network are who they say they are care facilities, insurers and other playing an increasingly impor- Launched in late 2011 as a from neighbours, but relying on neighborhood,” read a Nextdoor zens, positioning it as a hub for and live where they say they do. businesses adapting to the crisis. tant role. variation on town squares where them for groceries is much dif- post in a Santa Cruz county com- local news and resources. “The underpinnings are strong “We do, clearly, have adver- Daily usage of the network people could get to know neigh- ferent,” she said. munity. It has been used in the past by from a trust perspective,” Friar tisers on the platform that have — an ad-supported privately bours and catch up on local news, Earlier this month, Nextdoor “They aren’t super elabo- the US Census Bureau and Fed- said. pulled back,” Friar said. held start-up which touts itself San Francisco-based Nextdoor launched an interactive “help rate, but I think it will give us all eral Emergency Management “When people post, they post “On the other side, we are see- as a a local alternative to Face- now boasts 260,000 neighbour- map” which lets people indicate something beautiful to look at Agency. with real names so you have more ing companies lean in that didn’t book — soared 80% in March as hoods across 11 countries includ- how they are able to help with night while walking. Please join Now, the California governor’s accountability.” know us before and want to be people looked to connect more ing Australia, Britain, France, chores, errands or other needs. me.” offi ce is using the social network Neighbors can report dubi- there in this moment.” Gulf Times Tuesday, March 31, 2020 9 ASIA

N Zealand Indonesia to curb people’s mobility man killed in Papua as surge in Covid-19 cases feared attack Reuters Jakarta Reuters wedan said yesterday he had Jakarta asked Widodo to approve a re- gional quarantine, “eff ectively a ttackers shot dead a New lockdown” for Jakarta. Zealand man and wound- ndonesian President Joko He told Reuters he doubted Aed six other people at an Widodo said yesterday he the central government’s death offi ce of the Indonesian arm of Iplanned stricter rules on tolls and had been informed by mining company Freeport-Mc- mobility and social distancing hospitals that 283 patients had MoRan yesterday, police said. as a study presented to the gov- died of a “contagious disease” The gunmen opened fi re at ernment warned that more than but were treated with “Covid-19 around 2pm (0300 GMT) at the 140,000 people could die from protocols”. offi ce in the city of Timika in the coronavirus by May unless it “There’s a backlog in testing Indonesia’s Papua province, the takes tougher action. and limited numbers of people company PT Freeport Indonesia Medical experts have said the being tested,” Baswedan said, said in a statement. world’s fourth most populous asking central authorities to act Police said the attackers were country must impose tighter with more urgency. members of an armed criminal movement restrictions as known “The hospitals have been in- group without going into further cases of the highly infectious forming us that patients had details. respiratory illness have gone contagious disease’, but they are Separatists have launched a from zero in early March to 1,414, not saying Covid-19.” string of attacks in recent years with 122 deaths. Offi cial data puts the death in the area around the company’s Indonesia accounts for nearly toll in Jakarta at 74. nearby Grasberg operation – the half of the 250 deaths reported President Widodo has en- world’s second largest copper mine. across Southeast Asia, but some couraged social distancing but There have been sporadic offi cials and experts believe a initially questioned whether In- shootings and ambushes on ve- lack of testing has masked the donesians have the discipline for hicles travelling on the main scale of the outbreak. full lockdowns in contrast with supply route to the mine. Most infections in Indonesia other Southeast Asian nations. PT Freeport Indonesia said have been concentrated in and But he started to reconsider one staff member was killed and around the capital Jakarta. The this approach after public health six other people wounded, two of city of 10mn has declared a state experts presented a prediction them seriously. of emergency, shutting down model to Indonesia’s planning Workers had been evacuated schools and public entertain- agency Bappenas on Friday un- from the offi ce in the city’s Kuala ment, but so far there has been derlining a need for stronger in- Kencana district and from the no full public lockdown which tervention to prevent a rapid rise surrounding area, the company the president has been reluctant in cases and deaths. added. to impose. The model, a copy of which Conditions were being “moni- “I’m ordering large-scale so- was reviewed by Reuters, said Indonesian men spray disinfectant on a motorist as he enters a neighbourhood amid Covid-19 coronavirus outbreak in Bekasi yesterday. tored and so far there is no direct cial limits, physical distancing Indonesia could instigate three impact” on mining operations, needs to be done more sternly, stages of intervention: mild, tancing and limiting public estimates,” Pandu Riono, one of ing regional labs to test sam- Riono said the priority now Freeport Indonesia spokes- more disciplined, and eff ec- moderate, and high. The latter crowds, the researchers from the the researchers, said. “But we ples, as only approaching mild must be to suppress the number man Riza Pratama said by text tively,” Widodo told a cabinet would include very signifi cant University of Indonesia said the have to be ready even in these intervention. Health experts of cases. “The message (in our message. meeting, stressing that only the levels of testing and making virus death toll could soar to over circumstances.” have expressed concerns over model) is that we don’t want Papuan police spokesman central government could decide physical distancing mandatory. 140,000 among over 1.5mn cases Riono characterised measures Indonesia’s signifi cant defi cit in people dying, we don’t want Ahmad Mustafa Kamal identi- on regional quarantines. With mild intervention, which by May. currently taken by Indonesia, hospital beds, medical staff and our siblings dying, our friends fi ed the victim as a New Zealand Jakarta Governor Anies Bas- includes optional physical dis- “These are just conservative from rapid testing and deploy- intensive-care facilities. dying.” citizen. Vietnam PM asks key cities to prepare for lockdown

Reuters battle the virus, and have to stand temporarily shut down non-es- gressive quarantine and con- Hanoi ready for city lockdown scenari- sential services until April 15 at tact-tracing programme to curb os,” Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan the earliest. the spread of the virus after an Phuc said in a statement. Prime Minister Phuc also or- infl ux of infections brought in ietnam’s prime minis- “Vietnam has entered the dered the suspension to public by Vietnamese citizens escap- ter yesterday asked ma- pandemic’s peak period, ma- transport services to curb the ing outbreaks elsewhere and by Vjor cities to prepare for jor cities have to speed up and spread of the coronavirus. foreign visitors. possible lockdowns to stop the take advantage of each hour Phuc also called for a limit Vietnam has confi rmed 194 in- spread of coronavirus as the and minute to carry out defi ned on the use of private vehicles fections but has had no reported number of confi rmed cases in measures,” Phuc said. and encouraged state offi cials deaths, according to the health the Southeast Asian country The Vietnamese government to work from home, accord- ministry. More than 75,000 peo- reached nearly 200. has ordered a halt on inbound ing to a statement posted on the ple are in quarantine. The coun- “Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City fl ights, cut domestic fl ights, government website. try aims to keep the number of have to review and update plans to stopped public gatherings and It has also launched an ag- infections under 1,000.

People wait to be tested for the Covid-19 novel coronavirus during the launch of a new rapid testing kit to combat the spread of the virus at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok yesterday. Lockdown street code Shutdown Thailand reports 136 new leads to virus cases, 2 more deaths sharp drop Reuters accounts for nearly half of the with previous patients, while 21 Bangkok cases overall. were returnees from risky areas. in Dhaka “Cases in Bangkok remain The two new deaths reported high, but numbers in the prov- yesterday were a 54-year-old hailand reported 136 new inces are fl uctuating,” said Taw- Thai man in the southern prov- crime rate coronavirus cases and two eesin Wisanuyothin, a spokes- ince of Yala who had recently Tnew deaths yesterday, rais- man for the government’s returned from Malaysia, and IANS ing the total number of infections Centre for Covid-19 Situation a 56-year-old Thai woman in Dhaka to 1,524 and fatalities to nine. Administration (CCSA). Bangkok, said Anupong Sujari- Popular tourist resort island The government introduced yakul, an offi cial at the health Phuket, in southern Thailand, a state of emergency last week, ministry’s Department of Dis- ue to a shutdown across began a partial lockdown yes- banning most foreigners from ease Control. Bangladesh over the terday, when it started closing entry and closing public fa- Three southern provinces, Dcoronavirus pandemic beaches and all points of entry cilities and businesses in major Yala, Narathiwat and Pattani, (Covid-19), the crime rate in and exit except air travel until cities until April 30. were put on higher alert over the capital Dhaka has dropped the end of April. Among the new cases, 71 were the past week due to many cases sharply, a media report said The new cases were scattered linked to known clusters from a there being linked to a mosque yesterday. across 18 of Thailand’s 77 prov- boxing ring and entertainment gathering in the Malaysian capi- In the report, bdnews24 said People line up to buy vegetables from a vendor along a street during a government-imposed nationwide inces. The capital Bangkok now venues, or came into contact tal, Kuala Lumpur, last month. that the police generally produce lockdown as a preventive measure against the Covid-19 coronavirus in Colombo yesterday. more than 200 arrestees in the chief metropolitan magistrate One on the run, 10 inmates recaptured aft er Thai jail riot court of Dhaka in a day, but the number dropped to 26 on Sun- A prisoner is on the run while convicted drug felon is still loose. One prisoner in Thailand day amid a nationwide shutdown 10 others have been recaptured It attached a photograph of the has tested positive for the over a coronavirus outbreak. after a weekend prison riot shirtless, tattoo-covered man coronavirus. “The rate of crimes has Nepal to extend lockdown as virus cases rise in northeast Thailand set off and a telephone number to call if He was jailed at a prison in dropped because even the crimi- by rumours of a coronavirus he is spotted. Ratchaburi province, around nals are not leaving home due to IANS as closing most of the shops food items and those who should outbreak, off icials have said. Justice Minister Somsak 100km southwest of Bangkok, the coronavirus,” Zafar Hossain, Kathmandu except those selling essential get medical treatment during the The Department of Corrections Thepsuthin said that the and is now being treated at deputy commissioner of Court items, reports Xinhua news lockdown period. said in a statement yesterday Buriram prison did not have a a hospital, the corrections Police, said. agency. All the public and private ve- that 11 inmates attempted to coronavirus outbreak and the department said. The law enforcers, with very ue to an increase in the “The cabinet on Sunday de- hicles cannot move in the street. flee after a riot on Sunday at rumour was only spread to fuel A prison inspector had also few cases lodged at the 51 po- number of coronavirus cided to extend the lockdown Only the approved vehicles a prison in Buriram province, the riot. tested positive for the virus, but lice stations in the capital city, Dcases in Nepal, the gov- until April 7 midnight,” Finance and the vehicles meant for health around 400km northeast of “Please don’t worry, the incident has since recovered, it said. were now busy keeping people at ernment in the Himalayan na- Minister and Minister for Com- workers and security agencies Bangkok. at Buriram prison was just an Thailand has seen a total of 1,524 home to stem the outbreak. tion has decided to extend the munication and Information can ply on the road. It said the riot left the prison excuse from those who wanted cases of the new coronavirus Majority of arrested persons ongoing nationwide lockdown Technology Yubaraj Khati- Nepal has now fi ve confi rmed building torched and unusable. to break out of jail,” Somsak said. and nine deaths. were held for suspicious activi- by eight more days. wada told state-ownded Nepal Covid-19 cases. Around 2,000 inmates have Buriram province has reported The Public Health Ministry ties, encroachment or gambling. The country enforces the Television. According to the Health Min- been transferred to nearby jails. 10 coronavirus cases, according reported 136 cases and two new The number of coronavirus lockdown on March 24, halting During the lockdown, no one istry, it has so far tested 917 The statement said a 26-year old to the Health Ministry. deaths yesterday. (DPA) cases in Bangladesh was 49 with people’s movement along with can go out of home except those samples and 912 were tested fi ve deaths. vehicles and airplanes as well who have to purchase essential negative. Gulf Times 10 Tuesday, March 31, 2020 ASIA/AUSTRALASIA

“This is bliss”: Chinese barber has clients queuing up as Wuhan eases lockdown

Reuters in early January. “It was so dif- killed 3,304 in mainland China, nal look via her iPhone camera. The salon where she works Wuhan ficult to bear,” said one client mostly in Wuhan. Xiong stayed Each client is charged 30 yuan is expected to reopen in due who only gave his surname as indoors to look after her two ($4.23), much lower than her course when restrictions are Ren, describing how his hair children, but started venturing usual salon-based cuts, which eased further. or barber Xiong Juan, a had grown too long since he last out three weeks ago. cost up to 156 yuan. Asked about the risk of in- recent easing of restric- had it cut in December. The additional income is She only cuts men’s hair as fection, she said: “Of course Ftions in the city of Wu- “This is bliss,” he said as welcome after being off work they usually take less than 15 I’m still a little scared. But so- han, epicentre of China’s coro- Xiong carefully trimmed his for such a long time. minutes. ciety needs us so I should help navirus outbreak, means she is hair with a pair of clippers. “In a day, if it’s a peak pe- Xiong wears a hazmat suit in the little way I can.” now busier than ever. Xiong worked at a hairdress- riod, I might work from 8am and gloves and disinfects the The relaxing of curbs in Xiong, 39, now spends her ing salon but, like hundreds of in the morning till 6pm in the clippers between each custom- Wuhan, where the virus first days riding around on her elec- thousands of businesses across evening to cut the hair of 70 er. She usually finds customers emerged in December, comes as tric bicycle and offering her China, it had to shut due to people,” she said from an open- by word of mouth or just riding the number of new local cases services to local residents who government measures to stem air square of a residential com- around, and sometimes cuts in China drops sharply, though like her were stuck at home af- the spread of the coronavi- pound where she had set up a their hair at the roadside due the disease has since spread to Barber Xiong Juan, 39, cuts a customer’s hair at a residential ter authorities ordered a lock- rus, which as of Sunday had plastic chair for clients to sit to the restrictions some com- 203 other countries, prompting compound in Wuhan. down in the city of 11mn people infected 81,470 people and in. She lets them see their fi- pounds still have on visitors. lockdowns there too. Drop in China’s new virus cases; none in Wuhan for sixth day

Reuters Drop in new mainland infections for fourth day; A woman wearing a face mask dances on the East Lake in Wuhan, Hubei province, yesterday. Wuhan Some malls, businesses re-open in epicentre of Wuhan; Wuhan’s ground-zero market hides in plain sight hina reported a drop in Policymakers scramble to revitalise economy new coronavirus infec- Ctions for a fourth day as In the Chinese city of Wuhan, exotic menu items or for use allowing residents who were drastic curbs on international the wet market that spawned in traditional medicines whose stranded outside the province travellers reined in the number the pandemic which has eff icacy is not confirmed by - as well as foreign journalists of imported cases, while poli- brought the world to its knees science. The Wuhan market - to begin re-entering in recent cymakers turned their eff orts to now slumbers quietly behind was sealed and disinfected days. But the market’s fate healing the world’s second-larg- a tidy-looking blue-and-white beginning in January after seems sealed. For weeks, crews est economy. partition. But there are ample the outbreak began to spread. have carefully disinfected The city of Wuhan, at the cen- clues that something toxic Now only disinfecting crews go and then removed all of tre of the outbreak, reported no once lurked inside the Huanan in and out. Long red banners its merchandise and other new cases for a sixth day, as busi- Seafood Market - police stretch across the temporary contents, followed by further nesses reopened and residents tape, chest-high red barriers, blue wall, exhorting passersby rounds of disinfecting the set about reclaiming a more nor- and staff in head-to-toe to do their part in the fight entire site, according to state mal life after a lockdown for al- white hazmat suits lugging against the virus. media reports. The market is most two months. equipment. As the global health disaster slated for permanent closure, Smartly turned out staff wait- Chinese disease control has intensified, sparking according to the reports, ed in masks and gloves to greet off icials have previously tension between Beijing and though no plans to demolish customers at entrances to the identified wild animals sold in Washington, the birthplace of the site have been announced. newly-reopened Wuhan Inter- the market as the source of the the virus has since disappeared China has, however, national Plaza, home to bou- coronavirus pandemic that has by behind the temporary announced plans for a tiques of luxury brands such as taken more than 33,000 lives blue-and-white wall, and “comprehensive” ban on the Cartier and Louis Vuitton. worldwide so far and rocked an inner curtain of black wildlife trade that reportedly “The Wuhan International the global economy. A price sheeting. Mentions of the site flourished there. It was not Plaza is very representative (of list issued by one merchant have likewise disappeared immediately clear what locals the city),” said Zhang Yu, 29. “So at the sprawling emporium, from government epidemic in the area thought of the its reopening really makes me feel which circulated on China’s discourse and off icial media continued presence of the this city is coming back to life.” internet in January, contained a reports, as some Chinese market, which lies among tall Sunday’s fi gure of 31 new cases, smorgasbord of exotic wildlife off icials have pushed a new and modern residential blocks. including one locally transmitted People with face masks eat outside a McDonald’s restaurant in Wuhan. including civets, rats, snakes, narrative that the virus might Adjacent streets remained infection, was down from 45 the giant salamanders and even not have originated in the deserted yesterday, with previous day, the National Health could worsen as the pandemic about a second wave triggered by Northwestern Gansu province live wolf pups. market, while off ering no transport controls and other Commission said. As infections spreads, depressing demand both returning Chinese, many of them reported a new case of a travel- Markets such as this are evidence. After a more than restrictions on movement fall, policymakers are scrambling at home and abroad, Xin Guobin, students. China cut international ler from the central province of the final stop in what two-month lockdown to still in place throughout the to revitalise an economy nearly the vice minister of industry and fl ights massively from Sunday Hubei, who drove back with a conservationists say is a brutal contain the virus, in which city. But one local community paralysed by months-long curbs information technology, said. for an indefi nite period, after it virus-free health code, national trade in wild animals that is citizens of Wuhan and the off icial shrugged off the to control the spread of the fl u- The country has extended began denying entry to almost all health authorities said. Authori- fuelled in large part by Chinese rest of Hubei province were market’s toxic legacy, telling like disease. loans of 200bn yuan ($28bn) to foreigners a day earlier. ties in Zhejiang province said consumption. confined to their homes, life is AFP: “I don’t think local people Yesterday, the central bank 5,000 businesses, from 300bn Average daily arrivals at air- asymptomatic patients with It caters to an enduring inching back toward normality. have any fear when they get unexpectedly cut the interest allocated to help companies as ports this week are expected to be pneumonia would face the same demand for wild animals as Border controls are loosening, near the market.” rate on reverse repurchase agree- they resume work, Xin said. about 4,000, down from 25,000 quarantine conditions as con- ments by 20 basis points, the Authorities in Ningbo said last week, an offi cial of the Civil fi rmed cases, including 14 days in largest in nearly fi ve years. they would encourage national Aviation Administration of Chi- isolation centres, the state news Fujian, the eastern provinces of apart for temperature checks other colleagues who are also The government is push- banks to off er preferential credit na told a news conference in Bei- agency, Xinhua, reported. Jiangsu and Zhejiang, and north- at Wuhan International Plaza, healthy is a very happy thing,” ing businesses and factories to of up to 100bn yuan to the east- jing yesterday. The return to work Hubei authorities say 4.6mn east China. In Hubei’s capital of while fl ashing “green” mobile said Wang Xueman, a cosmetics reopen, as it rolls out fi scal and ern port city’s larger export has also prompted concern about people in the province returned Wuhan, more retail complexes telephone codes attesting to a sales representative. ($1=7.0887 monetary stimulus to spur re- fi rms. The city government will potential domestic infections as to work by Saturday, with 2.8mn and shopping streets reopened. clean bill of health. To be cleared Chinese yuan renminbi) covery from what is feared to be subsidise such loans, it said in travel curbs are rolled back, espe- of them heading for other parts of Electric carmaker Tesla Inc has to resume work, Wuhan resi- Interactive graphic tracking an outright economic contrac- a notice. While new infections cially regarding carriers who ex- China. Most of the departing mi- also reopened a showroom, a dents must take nucleic acid tests global spread of coronavirus: tion in the quarter to March. have fallen sharply from Febru- hibit no, or very mild, symptoms grant workers went to the south- company executive said on Wei- twice. “Being able to be healthy open https://tmsnrt.rs/3aIRuz7 China’s exports and imports ary’s peak, authorities worry of the highly contagious virus. ern provinces of Guangdong and bo. Shoppers queued 1-1/2m (5ft) and leave the house, and meet in an external browser.

Japan is ‘not planning’ a virus Australia limits movement to capitalise on slowing rates emergency but entry bans loom Japan has no plan to declare a from April 1,” Yoshihide Suga, the state of emergency from April, government’s top spokesman, Reuters lows us to control the spread as seas buyers, the government said its top government spokesman told a news conference. Sydney much as possible.” yesterday that all foreign invest- said yesterday, seeking to dispel Suga also said an expected New South Wales and Victoria ments would go through the mounting fears a recent spike telephone call between Prime will fi ne people between A$1,000 country’s Foreign Investment in coronavirus cases could lead Minister Shinzo Abe and Tedros ustralian offi cials will use ($616) and A$1,600 for breaching Review Board. The change cuts to a first-ever lockdown of the Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the head fi nes and the threat of jail the rules. In NSW, people could the takeover threshold for FIRB capital, Tokyo. As the number of the World Health Organisation Ato enforce a new rule lim- also face six months’ jail. Aus- scrutiny from A$1.2bn, in most of infections grows globally, (WHO), later yesterday had iting public gatherings to two tralia’s state and federal leaders cases, to zero and applies to over- however, Japan will raise its nothing to do with any decision people, as the country’s corona- have formed an emergency cabi- seas buyers. defences against imported on whether to call a state of virus infection rate slowed but net to hammer out the coronavi- Meanwhile, offi cials car- cases by banning the entry of emergency. the death toll crept higher. rus response as many of the social ried out new requirements that foreigners travelling from the Japanese stocks retreated New South Wales and Victoria, containment measures require Australians returning home by United States, China, South Korea yesterday as the pandemic the country’s two most populous state-level enforcement. plane be immediately taken into and most of Europe, the Asahi forced more countries to impose states, were to introduce the pen- That has led to often contra- monitored quarantine in hotels or newspaper reported. or tighten lockdown measures, alties from midnight yesterday to dictory messaging for the public other facilities for 14 days, under Non-Japanese citizens who have raising fears Japan could follow enforce national rules set by the on issues such as whether schools police supervision. Australia’s been in any of those places in suit from April 1 - the beginning of federal government on Sunday. should remain open. As well as borders are closed to all but re- the previous two weeks will be its fiscal year. The ruling Liberal Australia is strengthening lim- imposing the two-person limit on turning citizens and permanent barred, the newspaper said. Democratic Party called for a ited contact rules for the public public meetings, the small island A traveller returned from overseas is escorted from an airport bus residents. The government may also stimulus package worth 60tn as it seeks to capitalise on a slow- state of Tasmania became the into an inner-city hotel in Melbourne yesterday. In Western Australia state, ban travel to and from some yen ($556bn) that includes direct down in the growth of new coro- country’s fi rst state to ban people hundreds of people were due to countries in Southeast Asia and government spending of about navirus cases. from alternating between their staff layoff s, Australia’s regula- of the package said that would be taken from the Vasco da Gama Africa, it said, citing unidentified 20tn yen. The party’s proposal is Offi cials said the rate of new main home and any second home. tors and banks have taken meas- be released later on Monday and cruise ship to Rottnest Island, a government sources. A foreign likely to serve as a basis for the infections has halved in the past “There will not be movement ures to pause loan repayments would include wage subsidies for tourist destination near Perth, ministry spokesman said the government’s stimulus package week under existing restrictions between your shack and your pri- for six months, hoping to “hiber- people who have been laid off . or hotels near the state capital of government had not made any that is expected to be drawn on movement to about 4,200 mary place of residence, allowing nate” businesses until the crisis The government and the coun- Perth for quarantine, ship owner decision on bans. In an eff ort to up next week. Any lockdown in people nationally, while the death you to alternate and sleep nights ends. try’s central bank have already Cruise & Maritime Voyages said. limit the economic damage of the Japan would look diff erent to toll rose to 17. “It is only in excep- in both,” Tasmania Premier Peter PM Scott Morrison announced announced stimulus packages The danger posed by cruise ships outbreak, the government also mandatory measures imposed tional circumstances that you Gutwein said, using local slang a six-month moratorium on worth around A$190bn as the has loomed large in Australia af- plans to issue more government in some parts of Europe and should leave home,” New South for holiday homes. landlords evicting renters on country heads for its fi rst reces- ter passengers who were allowed bond, by $149bn from July, to the United States. By law, local Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian The island state reported its Sunday and urged businesses to sion in almost three decades. to disembark the Ruby Princess fund a massive stimulus package, authorities are only permitted to said in Sydney. fi rst coronavirus death overnight. hold off on more job cuts until he In an attempt to overcome liner in Sydney without any med- sources told Reuters. “It’s not true issue requests for people to stay “We will get through this. We Amid an extraordinary shut- unveiled a third stimulus pack- concerns that distressed assets ical checks were later diagnosed that the government is planning at home, which are not legally are in a position now which al- down of businesses and resulting age. Two sources with knowledge could be snapped up by over- with Covid-19. on declaring a state of emergency binding. Gulf Times Tuesday, March 31, 2020 11 BRITAIN/IRELAND

EU pushes Britain to extend Brexit talks over virus outbreak

Reuters on the continent and nearly 21,000 “The EU has always been open out delaying the date when Brexit the transition period,” the source ing with the outbreak. bad in Britain that Johnson can do Brussels deaths. to extending the transition period. would fi nally take eff ect follow- said. In Brussels, diplomats and of- a U-turn and say he is prioritis- In Britain, Prime Minister Boris The ball is now clearly in the Brit- ing Britain’s 2016 vote to leave, “The government is commit- fi cials said there have been no for- ing saving lives and hence delays Johnson and his health minister ish court... So far, the UK govern- and said London was also ready to ted to leaving at the end of the year mal negotiations since the sides Brexit.” he European Union expects have both confi rmed positive test ment has constantly rejected such withdraw from its current cooper- — ideally, with a deal. But if not — exchanged their drafts of a new Both sides would have to agree Britain to seek an extension results for the virus and the prime an option. Under the current cir- ation accords at end-year without without one.” trade agreement in mid-March, by the end of June on the extra time Tof its status quo post-Brexit minister’s senior adviser Dominic cumstances, London should care- a new deal. Sources on both sides of the though some contacts between of one or two years. transition period beyond the end Cummings — one of the master- fully re-examine a prolongation.” EU diplomats yesterday said English Channel said tackling the offi cials were taking place to ex- In Britain, the parliament has of the year, diplomats and offi cials minds behind Britain’s departure London and the EU have been they expected a request from Lon- pandemic was sapping political change views on the documents. passed laws ruling that out. said yesterday, as negotiations on from the EU earlier this year — was seeking to agree a new trade pact don in May or June. energy and government resources “Even more so now with coro- Granting more time to fi gure trade have ground to a halt due to self-isolating with symptoms. by the end of the year to kick in However, a British government to the detriment of Brexit negotia- navirus — there is no way we can out a new deal between the EU and the coronavirus pandemic. “The coronavirus pandemic from 2021, even though the bloc source said, when asked about the tions. get it done on time,” said an EU Britain would be further compli- Europe has gone into a deep complicates the already very am- has long said that such a time- matter, that it was sticking to its Several British civil service diplomat following Brexit. cated by the bloc demanding that lockdown in a bid to curb the bitious schedule,” said David frame was extremely short to agree plans. sources told Reuters many of- “It’s increasingly obvious the London continues to pay into joint spread of the respiratory disease McAllister, a conservative German co-operation rules on everything “It is something that the gov- fi cials previously tasked with transition period will have to be coff ers of the 27 member states, caused by the virus, with more EU lawmaker who chairs the Euro- from trade to security to fi sheries. ernment has been very clear about focusing on the Brexit talks have extended. It’s a matter of political while retaining funds has been a than 330,000 infections reported pean Parliament’s Brexit group. Johnson has repeatedly ruled — that it does not intend to extend now been shifted to teams deal- momentum — when things get so chief Brexit promise. Leak reveals shortage of virus PPE in N Ireland

Guardian News and Media adding: “You just wouldn’t send London fi remen into a burning fi re without apparatus, would you?” On Friday, the British Medical n acute shortage of pro- Council in Wales said that while tective equipment for the Welsh government has advised Ahealthcare workers deal- there were suffi cient PPE stocks, ing with the Covid-19 outbreak the reality was that “doctors on in Northern Ireland has been the frontline are experiencing revealed in a leaked document shortages and many are extremely that shows suppliers are warning anxious over the adequacy of the some gear cannot be delivered equipment”. until the summer. The Northern Ireland docu- Internal stock checks issued by ment leaked to the Guardian, the region’s health service listed titled “Covid-19 product short- NHS England’s chief executive Simon Stevens stands with NHS staff during a visit to the ExCel London in Newham, London, yesterday. The ExCel centre has been converted into the item after item of personal protec- ages”, suggests commercial sup- temporary NHS Nightingale Hospital, comprising two wards, each capable of accommodating 2,000 people. tive equipment (PPE) as “out of pliers are struggling to meet the stock”, including respirator masks, rise in demand for PPE as the NHS eye protection and basic hygiene in Northern Ireland, known as products. Health and Social Care (HSC), re- Of the 33 Covid-19 “aff ected sponds to rising numbers of Cov- products” listed on the leaked id-19 patients. Northern Ireland document, According to the document, one 32 items were marked “out of supplier is unable to provide cer- Govt accused of overstating stock”, with one kind of protec- tain kinds of visors and face masks tive clothing marked “critically “until July 2020”, while the major low in stock”. The documents industrial supplies conglomer- suggest offi cials have released ate 3M “cannot give (HSC) any alternative products in response certainty over future supply” of a to the shortages from emergency particular line of FFP3 respirator scale of coronavirus testing stockpiles. mask. The leak comes as authori- Other 3M respirator masks are Reuters cast doubt on whether it would Asked why the UK had a tar- more eff ort to be put into testing. around 500,000 people a week, ties in both Wales and Scotland described as becoming “avail- London hit the next target of 25,000 daily get of 25,000 daily tests while “Experts continue to call for many are asking why we are still also scramble to release PPE from able soon” or “available from April tests within a fortnight. Germany was working on around the UK to signifi cantly ramp up not even hitting the 10,000 a day emergency stockpiles and an- 2020”. The stock checks show an- It shows the UK is lagging 70,000 a day, the spokesman said testing. When Germany is testing promised on March 11,” he said. nounced measures to distribute tibacterial wipes were also listed as inisters have been ac- behind other countries such there were diffi culties in “get- supplies to frontline NHS and so- out of stock. cused of overstating as Germany, which is testing ting all the equipment they need Charles out of self-isolation cial care staff . Details of the shortages are Mthe scale of coronavirus 70,000 daily, despite the World to conduct these tests at a time Libby Nolan, a senior nurse likely to renew concerns about testing in the UK as fi gures for Health Organisation’s advice for when everybody in the world British heir-to-the-throne said. He will resume meetings currently assigned to an inten- PPE supplies raised by healthcare the number of daily tests fell to countries to “test, test, test”. wants them”. Prince Charles, who had tested and take exercise in accordance sive treatment unit (ITU) in south workers, professional bodies and 8,278 on Saturday – far short of Downing Street appeared to Concern is rising about the positive for coronavirus, is out with government and medical Guardian Wales, told the that hospital chiefs across the UK in the 10,000 target it was meant to blame Public Health England UK’s failure to quickly increase of self-isolation after seven guidelines. some healthcare workers have be- recent days. have met last week. (PHE) for the discrepancy, saying its testing capacity, which ex- days and is in good health, his However, his wife Camilla, who gun preparing letters to be used in In Northern Ireland on Fri- Michael Gove, the Cabinet Of- Gove had been relying on infor- perts say will be key to easing the spokesman said yesterday. Last tested negative for coronavirus, case they die, putting into writing day, Stormont’s Finance Minis- fi ce minister, claimed over the mation given to him by the health lockdown. week, his Clarence House off ice will remain in self-isolation how they were told to work with- ter, Conor Murphy, announced a weekend that the 10,000 target experts. It is almost three weeks since revealed that Charles, 71, had until the end of the week out adequate PPE. joint-deal with the Irish govern- had been reached. The 10,000 fi gure was an ac- the government promised to been tested after displaying in case she too develops She said they were “thinking ment for a “signifi cant order” of However, it turned out only curate refl ection of current test- reach the 10,000 target, and 12 mild symptoms of the virus symptoms. Buckingham Palace ahead for insurance and litigation PPE from China. 9,114 tests had been carried out ing capacity, Boris Johnson’s of- days since it said it was working and had been in self-isolation has previously said Queen purposes” to ensure their families Murphy said: “We want to be on around 6,900 people on Fri- fi cial spokesman said. to increase testing in hospitals to at his Birkhall home in Scotland Elizabeth, who left London receive suffi cient compensation. sure that if the crisis that is com- day – falling to 8,278 tests on Capacity for testing currently 25,000 a day. where he had continued to for Windsor Castle on March She said PPE shortages re- ing our way becomes more severe 4,908 patients on Saturday. stands at 10,949 a day, according Jonathan Ashworth, the shad- work. After consultation with 19 along with her 98-year-old mained at the end of last week, in Britain and those supply lines The fi gures are well below the to PHE, raising questions about ow health secretary, questioned his doctor, he is now out of husband, Philip, is in good including goggles and FFP3 respi- across the Irish Sea dry up, then we 10,000 daily tests promised by why more tests are not being why Gove had claimed the UK self-isolation, Clarence House health. rator masks, aff ecting staff safety, want our own supply chain here.” the government on March 11 and done. had met its target, and called for Harry, Meghan must pay Government picks new MI5 chief for own security: Trump Reuters it,” he added. Britain blamed Rus- London sia for the attack in which a British citizen died. Daily Mail coronavirus pandemic. Royal Canadian Mounted Police Russia denied any role, though Washington Meghan’s mother Doria lives in after March 31. he government yesterday Western powers expelled dozens Los Angeles, and the former ac- The prince’s chances of build- named Ken McCallum, a of Russian spies working under tress grew up there. ing a good relationship with the Tcareer spy who led the re- diplomatic cover. he US will not pay for the The couple took a private jet US president may have been un- sponse to the attempted murder of Skripal, a former offi cer in Rus- Duke and Duchess of Sus- with their son Archie, 10 months, dermined when a leaked phone Russian former double agent Ser- sian military intelligence (GRU), Tsex’s security, Donald just before non-essential travel call saw him say Trump has gei Skripal, as the new head of its betrayed dozens of Russian agents Trump announced. between Canada and the US was “blood on his hands”. MI5 domestic intelligence agency. to British intelligence. The US president said the cou- suspended. The Sussexes have Russian hackers managed to McCallum, who has worked in Andrew Parker, who retires at ple should foot the bill for their long planned to set up home in connect to the couple’s Canadian MI5 for 25 years, rose through the the end of April, has led MI5 since bodyguards now they have moved Meghan’s home state in the US bolthole where they persuaded ranks working across the agency’s 2013. across the border from Vancou- but brought their plans forward the prince that he was speaking main fronts from Northern Ireland He stayed on longer than is ver. because of the global health crisis. to Swedish eco-activist Greta to countering militants and ensur- usual to ensure a stable transition Canada had made it clear it The family had been staying Thunberg and her father. ing the safety of the 2012 London during Britain’s exit from the Eu- would not pay for security after in a borrowed £10mn mansion In the calls Harry took aim at Olympics. ropean Union which took place on Harry and Meghan stood down as in Vancouver Island, where they the president’s environmental Then, after former Russian dou- January 31. senior royals this week. had been welcomed by the local record, he said: “I think the mere ble agent Skripal and his daughter During Parker’s watch, MI5 had And in a hugely embarrassing community, but sources said they fact that Donald Trump is push- Yulia were found poisoned with to contend with a spate of deadly move for the pair, Trump tweeted: knew Canada ‘wouldn’t work for ing the coal industry is so big a Soviet-developed nerve agent militant attacks in the United “I am a great friend and admirer them’ in the long run. in America, he has blood on his known as “Novichok” in 2018, Kingdom including the 2017 Man- of the Queen and the UK. It was Harry, 35, and Meghan, 38, offi - hands”. He later added: “Unfor- McCallum led the agency’s re- chester suicide bombing which reported that Harry and Meghan, cially step down as senior working tunately the world is being led by sponse to the attempted murder, killed 22 people, and attacks on who left the Kingdom, would reside royals tomorrow. some very sick people so the peo- MI5 said. Westminster and London Bridge permanently in Canada. Now they It means the US will be under ple like yourselves and younger “Our people — with our part- the same year. have left Canada for the US howev- no legal obligation to shield them generation are the ones that are ners — strive to keep the country The Manchester suicide bomb- er, the US will not pay for their se- as “internationally protected per- going to make all the diff erence.” safe, and they always want to go er, Salman Abedi, was known to curity protection. They must pay!” sons”. Their decision to move to Meghan has also had issues the extra mile,” McCallum said in the authorities but not under ac- It emerged that the duke and California came shortly after the with President Trump in the past, a statement. tive investigation when he blew duchess had moved to Cali- Canadian authorities said they blasting him as ‘misogynistic’ and “Having devoted my working himself up in the foyer of the fornia before the border with would refuse to contribute to the ‘divisive’ in a television interview life to that team eff ort, it is a huge Manchester Arena after an Ariana Canada closed because of the cost of protecting them with the before he was elected to offi ce. Prince Harry and Meghan...setback privilege now to be asked to lead Grande concert. Gulf Times 12 Tuesday, March 31, 2020 EUROPE

11 arrested Spain sees slight drop in over party AFP Istanbul

urkish police have de- tained 11 people, includ- Ting the organisers and a new coronavirus deaths DJ, after a weekend coronavirus house party in Istanbul where Reuters/AFP business association, said in a centres being used as temporary Jesus Maria Garcia, a nurse at Madrid held yesterday a sure of non-essential activity to some guests dressed up as doc- Madrid television interview. clinics and Madrid’s largest ice the Ronda Hospital in the south- minute of silence for the vic- start today. tors, local offi cials said. The total number of infections rink turned into a provisional ern province of Malaga, said staff tims of the disease, and Samuel Spain unveiled earlier this The party, thrown at a villa in rose to 85,195 yesterday. morgue. were using paper masks instead Barber’s Adagio for Strings was month a €200bn ($220bn) eco- the Buyukcekmece district on pain overtook China in the Spain has now joined the Still, the daily infection in- of FFP2 masks, which fi lter most played from loudspeakers at the nomic aid package to help fur- Saturday night, was shared live number of those infected United States and Italy in having crease has slowed since the intro- particles and which healthcare town hall while the regional, loughed workers get benefi ts and on social media but received Swith coronavirus yester- more cases than China, where duction of lockdown measures, workers need to wear when deal- Spanish and European Union businesses draw state-backed criticism for ignoring social dis- day, as the government tightened the coronavirus fi rst appeared in falling to 12% on average in the ing with infected patients. fl ags fl ew at half-mast. credit lines. tancing pleas. restrictions on a population en- December and which had con- past fi ve days from around 20% “To get a FPP2, you have to The government said it was In further measures to soften “These idiots have organised tering its third week under one fi rmed 81,439 cases as of Sunday in the preceding 10 days, said fi ght with someone,” he told AFP imposing caps on funeral prices, the blow of the outbreak, the a home party somewhere in Is- of the strictest lockdowns in Eu- evening. health emergency spokeswoman by telephone. “They have been following reports that undertak- government is likely to approve tanbul” one Twitter user posted. rope. An overnight death toll of 812 Maria Jose Sierra, brought in to telling us the same thing for 10 ers were taking advantage of in- today a moratorium on rent for “How come we will stop the Business leaders criticised people brought fatalities in Spain substitute for her predecessor days now, that soon material creased demand. vulnerable groups like unem- spread of the virus despite those Spain’s actions over the week- from the virus to 7,340. who has tested positive for the will arrive. I don’t believe it any- The left-wing government ployed people with dependents, idiots!!!” end to ban all non-essential work The country, which has the virus. more.” must tread a fi ne line between government sources said. Bars and nightclubs have been until mid-April and to extend for world’s second most deadly out- The outbreak is also taking its He said two-thirds of the hos- slowing the spread of a disease However, in a show of how closed in Turkey by a circular another two weeks a nationwide break after Italy, recorded 838 toll on healthcare personnel, who pital was dedicated to corona- that has overwhelmed the health certain parts of the economy, issued by the interior ministry shutdown that has paralysed in- deaths from the pandemic on complain of a lack of masks and virus patients, with confi rmed service and preserving employ- such as grocery retail, are boom- as part of eff orts to contain the dustries like car manufacturing Sunday, its third straight daily other protective material. cases on one fl oor and suspected ment in a country with the sec- ing as people hunker down at spread of the virus. and tourism. record for coronavirus deaths. As of yesterday, more than cases on another. ond-highest jobless rate in Eu- home, supermarket chain Dia Police watched the social me- “If you stop the country, Spain’s healthcare system is 12,200 medical staff were in- “There are people who come rope. announced yesterday that it had dia broadcast then detained 11 we’ll have a huge social problem struggling to cope with the surge fected, up from around 9,500 on for other reasons and they face a The government gave busi- hired 1,000 people to deal with people including the organiser within fi ve months,” Antonio of seriously ill patients all at Friday, according to the health great risk” of being infected with nesses an extra 24 hours to wind increased demand in online or- and a DJ. Garamendi, president of Spain’s once, with hotels and conference ministry. coronavirus, Garcia said. down operations, with full clo- ders. They were charged with “dis- obeying the regulations on in- fectious diseases”, the Istanbul governor’s offi ce said in a state- ment late Sunday. The authorities were working Lockdown in to identify other participants, it added. In the video footage posted, some of those partying could be seen dressed up as emergency Moscow doctors with gloves and masks. “I drank a lot of alcohol. Eve- ryone was dancing with the mu- AFP woman walking her corgi. sic. I regret holding such a party Moscow Police cars drove through the at a time of coronavirus,” the or- streets, looking out for Musco- ganiser told the police in his tes- vites breaking the rules. timony, the private news agency oscow, with its more Anna, a 36-year-old Web de- DHA reported. than 12mn people, went signer living in south Moscow, Elif K, who broadcast the Minto lockdown yester- said the lockdown would be hard party live on social media, said day while other parts of Russia for her and her fi ve-year-old around 80 people attended the moved to introduce similar steps daughter. party. “They were drinking and to curb the coronavirus outbreak. “But I don’t want Arina to get dancing. I later called a taxi and The enforcement of the strict sick,” she told AFP while on her left.” new rules, which Moscow Mayor way to buy some bread. “So of The DHA said police released Sergei Sobyanin announced sud- course we will observe the quar- seven people after questioning denly late on Sunday, coincided antine.” them, but the other four were with the beginning of a “non- But some were in no hurry to sent to court. working” week declared by Pres- take the new rules to heart. ident Vladimir Putin. Three teenagers fl outed social Ukraine sacks “The situation is certainly distancing rules, walking and serious and everyone should laughing together. two ministers take this very seriously,” Putin’s “Staying home with our par- spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. ents will kill us quicker than the Ukraine’s parliament approved Moscow, which has become coronavirus,” said one teen as the yesterday the dismissal of the the epicentre of the contagion others nodded. Police off icers patrol on the deserted Red Square, with the St Basil’s Cathedral (left) and Kremlin’s Spasskaya Tower (right) in the background, in health and finance ministers as in Russia, announced the new Muscovites are now only al- Moscow yesterday during a lockdown of the city. the country struggles with an measures after many Muscovites lowed to leave their homes in economic and health crisis due to failed to heed recommendations cases of a medical emergency, to However, the real number of of Kaliningrad have already im- independent newspaper Novaya said authorities had no right to the coronavirus outbreak. to self-isolate and instead went travel to jobs judged essential, infected people is believed to be posed or were preparing to im- Gazeta. close churches, fi nally fell into Health minister Ilya Yemets and to parks for barbecues at the and to go to local grocery stores higher and critics have rounded pose strict quarantines. In a rare televised address last line on Sunday, with Patriarch finance minister Ihor Umansky weekend. and pharmacies which need to on authorities for not proposing Chechen strongman Ramzan Wednesday, Putin announced Kirill calling on the faithful to had only been in their positions Yesterday, the Red Square in enforce social distancing. tougher measures sooner. Kadyrov was the fi rst regional that Russians would not be re- pray at home. for about four weeks. the heart of Moscow was eerily People are also allowed to take At a government meeting, leader to announce a lockdown quired to go to work this week, “You can be saved without go- Media reports said the dismissals empty, while the streets of Eu- out the trash and walk their dogs. Prime Minister Mikhail Mishus- last week, banning non-resi- but would still get paid. ing to church,” he told believers in resulted from a conflict within the rope’s most populous city were Over the past 24 hours Russia tin asked regional authorities to dents from entering the once res- He also postponed an upcom- an address. country’s leadership. quiet even though traffi c could has recorded 302 new cases – the prepare for Moscow-style lock- tive region. ing public vote on constitutional The new isolation rules, which The parliament also still be seen on the roads. biggest daily increase so far – downs, saying that it is important Masked men in black uniforms reforms that would allow him to will be policed by a vast system voted yesterday against a Patriarch Ponds, a popular taking the national tally to 1,835 to pre-empt a major outbreak. were policing streets in Chech- stay in power until 2036. of facial-recognition cameras in supplementary budget prepared central park, was deserted in cases of coronavirus and nine At least eight regions includ- nya armed with white clubs, ac- The powerful Russian Ortho- Moscow, came into force as Rus- by the cabinet of ministers to the morning except for a lone deaths. ing the Western exclave region cording to a video published by dox Church, which had initially sia also closed its borders. prop up the economy. Cash-strapped Ukraine has been Van Gogh stolen from closed museum teetering towards bankruptcy as mass quarantine measures Thieves stole a painting by Vincent van Gogh overnight from the Singer over the coronavirus have Hungary PM gets sweeping new powers Laren Museum in the Netherlands, its director said yesterday. further crippled an already mired The gallery, in the town of Laren to the east of Amsterdam, is currently economy. shut to the public due to the coronavirus epidemic. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy Lentetuin Spring Garden Reuters “The controlling role of Parlia- The painting , or , which depicts the garden of had reshuff led the cabinet in Budapest ment and the government’s duty the rectory at Neunen and dates to 1884, had been on loan from the early March, with Denys Shmyhal to report will remain in place Groninger Museum in the Netherlands. becoming prime minister, in the during the epidemic,” he said. Police said the thieves had forced the building’s glass front doors open hope of improving the struggling ungary’s parliament Hungary has reported 447 around 3.15am (0115 GMT). economy. granted nationalist Prime coronavirus cases and 15 deaths. HMinister Viktor Orban Some media companies, fac- the right to rule by decree yes- ing severe short-term liquidity terday to fi ght the coronavirus, problems, have already scrapped ignoring calls by opponents and plans for 2020. As contagion slows down in Italy, rights groups to put a timeframe Central Media, one of Hun- on the extra powers. gary’s largest media groups, has President Janos Ader, an Or- put journalists on reduced hours offi cials say curbs must continue ban ally, signed the legislation and cut salaries by up to a quar- extending a state of emergency ter, several sources told Reuters. Pesti Hirlap after it was approved by parlia- , a tabloid, has told DPA he tweeted, adding that there will fessor Franco Locatelli, head of ment, dominated by Orban’s staff it will cut jobs and switched Rome be a “plateau” before the conta- the Supreme Health Council, Fidesz party. to online-only mode. gion curve starts falling. said at the civil protection press Ader said that it was in line Orban: If (the critics) can’t help, then at least don’t stop the Executives at HVG, a weekly CPA chief Angelo Borrelli re- conference. with international treaties and Hungarians from defending (against the virus). that also runs a popular website, here were more encour- ported 1,590 new recoveries from Encouraging contagion data Hungary’s constitution. warned staff of budget cuts, ac- aging signs yesterday of a the virus, the highest daily fi gure “gives us a reason to continue The legislation has triggered control, using legal levers, own- tended to neutralise the national cording to several sources. Tslowing novel coronavirus on record, bringing the total to making these sacrifi ces”, Loc- criticism from opposition par- ership changes and advertising assembly. “Press freedom could fall vic- contagion in Italy, as top offi cials 14,620. atelli said. “We are going in the ties, rights groups and the Coun- money for more loyal media cov- Orban, who has gradually in- tim to the coronavirus,” Miklos warned against any relaxation in One of the people back in right direction and we must not cil of Europe, Europe’s main erage. creased his power in a decade Hargitai, chair of the Hungar- social distancing measures. shape was Nicola Zingaretti, in any way change our strategy.” rights forum, because it does not The economic impact of the in offi ce, has often been in con- ian Journalists Association (MU- The Civil Protection Agency head of the co-ruling Democratic It is up to Prime Minister set a specifi c limit on the time coronavirus could accelerate the fl ict with the European Union OSZ), told Reuters. (CPA) said active coronavirus Party (PD), who had announced Giuseppe Conte’s government the additional powers will be in shake-up of the media, journal- and rights organisations over his State media have an annual cases, excluding deaths and re- testing positive for the novel to decide on the lockdown, but force. ists say. perceived erosion of democratic budget of around 90bn forints coveries, had risen by 1,648 to coronavirus on March 7. his cabinet acts on the advice of It also imposes jail terms of up The government has rejected checks and balances and the rule ($280mn). 75,528 – the smallest daily vari- In the northern Lombardy re- a scientifi c panel which includes to fi ve years on those hindering the criticism, saying that the law of law. The public media budget is not ation since March 10. gion, the worst hit by the out- Locatelli among its members. measures to curb the spread of empowers it to adopt only meas- Opposition lawmakers said aff ected by the crisis this year, a However, overall infections, break, the number of active cases Italians are under strict orders the virus or spreading false in- ures needed to fi ght the virus, they back the government’s over- government spokesman said. including deaths and recoveries, fell yesterday by almost 400 to to stay home unless for work, formation that could upset peo- and that parliament can revoke all fi ght against the coronavirus Loyal outlets receive state ad- soared above the 100,000-mark 25,006. emergencies and unavoidable er- ple or hinder the fi ght against the the special powers. but wanted a time limit placed on vertisements regardless of their to 101,739, and 812 more people It was a fi rst since the start of rands like buying food and medi- virus. “This is an authorisation lim- the government’s special powers, audience size, data shows. died, bringing the total death toll the epidemic. cines or taking the dog out. Rights groups said this might ited both in time and scope ... as which parliament can extend if “The coronavirus epidemic to 11,591, a world record. Italy’s outbreak, the fi rst and According to Covid- be used to muzzle journalists as it is solely related to the corona- necessary. will have a devastating eff ect on According to Matteo Villa, largest in Europe, began on Feb- 19&Mobility, a Facebook page remaining independent media virus, and you are crying a dic- Parliament rejected all opposi- Hungarian independent media,” a researcher at the ISPI think ruary 20, in Lombardy. which tracks people’s move- are forced to cut staff and budg- tatorship,” state secretary Bence tion amendments. said Agnes Urban, director of tank, yesterday’s fi gures showed To limit the spread of the vi- ments based on mobile phone ets while media loyal to the gov- Retvari told opposition parties President Ader said the gov- the Mertek Media Monitor think that “the peak [in the contagion rus, the government imposed a data, nearly 80% of people did ernment continue to receive tax- before the vote. ernment’s special authorisation tank. “This can become critical curve] is nearing”. national lockdown on March 10, not leave their residence on Sun- payers’ money. Justice Minister Judit Varga would end once the epidemic is for independent outlets within “If today’s trend were to be which expires on April 3. day. Since he took power in 2010, said that it is “very damaging over and was limited to dealing 2-3 months as most lack a rich confi rmed tomorrow, we could “There will certainly be an ex- The coronavirus causes the Orban has built media he can fake news” that the law is in- with the epidemic and its fallout. owner.” fi nally say we are past [the peak],” tension” of the measures, Pro- Covid-19 disease. Gulf Times Tuesday, March 31, 2020 13 INDIA

Govt steps up eff orts to get ventilators, masks, coveralls

IANS tors with Bharat Electronics Lim- to develop acute respiratory dis- While Bharat Electronics 20,000 N99 masks per day. Until now they were not available in various hospitals New Delhi ited which plans to collaborate ease syndrome (ARDS). Limited will manufacture venti- This is also expected to be- manufactured in the country. across the country. with domestic manufacturers. Less than 20 Covid-19 patients lators, drug companies have as- come available in a week’s time. But with the prospect of huge The Indian Red Cross Society Indian auto manufacturers are are on ventilator support now. sured the government that there The hospitals in the country requirement of PPEs arising has managed to get 10,000 PPEs he government has placed also preparing to manufacture As against this, over 14,000 will not be any shortage of drugs have 1.2mn N95 masks in stock in the near future, the govern- from China which are being dis- orders with companies for ventilators, the ministry said in ventilators have been identifi ed during this crisis and even auto now. An additional 500,000 ment is making efforts to pro- tributed. Tsupply of ventilators, of- a statement. in various hospitals across the manufacturers are working to masks were distributed in the mote their production in the A Singapore-based online fi cials said yesterday. Orders have also been placed country for treatment of Cov- develop and produce ventilators. past two days and 140,000 masks country. platform has been identifi ed The federal Health Ministry with international companies id-19 patients. Two domestic manufacturers were distributed yesterday. The ministries of Textiles and which can supply 1mn PPE kits said domestic manufacturer like Hamilton, Mindray and In order to meet the require- are supplying around 50,000 N95 Over 1mn masks would be part Health have been working to- and an order has been placed AgVa Healthcare in Noida has Draeger for ventilators. ment of personal protection masks per day now, but are ramp- of the PPE kits being sourced gether in this endeavour. through the Ministry of External been able to develop ventilators The Ministry of External Af- equipment (PPEs), masks and ing up capacities to raise produc- from Singapore. Offi cials said 11 domestic Aff airs. and has off ered to supply. fairs is also approaching suppli- ventilators, factories produc- tion to 100,000 by next week. These kits are used by medical manufacturers have cleared Another supplier based in The supplies are expected to ers in China for sourcing 10,000 ing essential items are working The Defence Research and De- personnel working in isolation quality tests and they have been South Korea, which has tie-ups start by the second week of April. ventilators. round the clock and ordnance velopment Organisation (DRDO) areas and intensive care units to asked to supply 2.1mn PPE cov- with production companies in The government has also Ventilators are required for factories are trying to produce is also collaborating with local protect them from acquiring in- eralls. Vietnam and Turkey has been placed orders for 30,000 ventila- Covid-19 patients, as they tend PPEs for medical personnel. manufacturers to produce about fections. As of now, 334,000 PPEs are identifi ed, the offi cials added. No community transmission of Covid-19 yet, says offi cial

IANS homes and 623 in hospitals,” said New Delhi Vijayan. He said the issue of migrant labourers staging protests at he coronavirus outbreak Payipadu on Sunday was being in India is technically looked into. Tstill in local transmis- “There are 5,778 camps to sion stage, and there has been accommodate them. Their de- no community transmission so mand, to be sent to their home far, a senior official said yes- state, cannot be met now due to terday. the nationwide lockdown. We Lav Agarwal, a senior offi cial have given instructions to im- of the Health Ministry, said 99 of prove facilities, like installing TV the over 1,000 coronavirus posi- sets,” he said. Police meanwhile tive cases have recovered so far. arrested a migrant labourer from He urged people to follow the West Bengal. do’s and don’ts, and said early The police informed the me- Vegetable vendors set up their stalls maintaining social distance at an open field in Mumbai yesterday. identifi cation of the viral infec- dia that apart from arresting tion was very crucial in fi ghting Mohamed Rinju, the police have the disease. registered cases against 2,000 As many as 1,071 cases have migrant labourers for staging the been confi rmed for the viral in- protest on Sunday at Payipadu. fection with 92 coming in the On Sunday morning, an es- last 24 hours and four deaths. timated over 3,000 migrant Agarwal said 10 empowered labourers from various states groups have been constituted gathered at Payipadu in violation focusing on medical emergency, of the lockdown and demanded Govt says no plan to hospital management and com- that they be sent back home. munity mobilisation, and em- They also staged a protest and phasised the need to follow so- after almost two hours they were cial distancing. chased away by the police. “Most of the positive cases for Vijayan said over 2,500 people the coronavirus had a travel his- without proper houses had been tory,” Agarwal added. accommodated at special camps “We should maintain social and were being given food. extend the lockdown distancing. Even one person’s Meanwhile, the Rajasthan carelessness may play a big role government yesterday reported Agencies Defying the lockdown, hun- people following the govern- Citing apology, the chief minis- them for stern action,” he said. in the spreading of the coronavi- 10 new coronavirus cases, taking New Delhi dreds of thousands of workers ment’s guidelines. ter said everyone should realise the The chief minister also urged rus,” he said. the state’s tally to 69. While two who live on daily wages left big “Ending of the three-week predicament of the prime minister parents not to allow their chil- Dr Raman Gangakhedkar of cases are from Jaipur and one cities like Delhi and Mumbai on lockdown depends on strictness who cares for the well-being of dren to venture outside. the Indian Council of Medical from Bhilwara, seven are Iran here is no plan to ex- foot for their homes in the coun- with which the people follow the the country and its people. India has 1,071 cases of the Research said 38,442 coronavi- evacuees, according to offi cials. tend a 21-day lockdown tryside, many with families. curfew and maintain social dis- “Modi’s precautionary meas- coronavirus of whom 29 have rus tests have been done so far Of the three Covid-19 new Tto slow the spread of the They said they had no food or tance. In this hour of crisis, it is ures are yielding results when died, the Health Ministry said which is still below 30% of its cases are a 70-year-old woman coronavirus, the government money. not good to come out of house the performance of the devel- yesterday. testing capacity. and a 21-year-old man. said yesterday, as it struggled to Modi on Sunday apologised and violate the curfew,” Yediy- oped countries is miserable in The numbers are small com- In Thiruvananthapuram, They are mother and son of a keep essential supplies fl owing for the hardship faced by the urappa said in a statement. handling Covid outbreak,” he pared with the United States, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Covid-19 patient from the Ram- and prevent tens of thousands poor. He appealed to the people to said. Italy and China, but health of- Vijayan said more people tested ganj area of the Jaipur, said Ad- of out-of-work people fl eeing to Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba help the state government in Yediyurappa lamented that fi cials say India is weeks away Covid-19 positive, taking the ditional Chief Secretary Rohit the countryside. said that there was no plan to ex- preventing the spread of the vi- many individuals in urban cen- from a major surge in cases that state’s tally to 213. Kumar Singh. Prime Minister Narendra tend the shutdown beyond the rus. tres were brazenly violating the could overwhelm its weak public “Of this, 17 came from abroad The youth, who had returned Modi ordered the country’s 1.3bn three weeks, rejecting reports “People of Karnataka are curfew rules, compelling the po- health system. and the rest are secondary con- from Oman a few days back, was people to remain indoors until that a prolonged closure was known for tolerance and pa- lice to act against them. There has been a steady in- tacts. The Kasargode district asked to quarantine himself by April 15 saying that was the only likely. tience. They are law-abiding “As the police are human be- crease in Covid-19 cases since recorded 17, Kannur 11, Waya- medical and health personnel. hope to stop the epidemic. In Bengaluru, in a stern warn- citizens. The lockdown is a test- ings like us, don’t test their pa- March 20, with 179 cases being nad and Idukki 2 each. There are But he kept meeting relatives But the order has left millions ing to violators, Karnataka Chief ing time for them. It has come to tience. They are under stress reported on Saturday alone, the 156,660 people in isolation at and friends. of impoverished people jobless Minister B S Yediyurappa put the test the patience of our people,” by working without rest. Don’t highest single-day increase so and hungry. onus of lockdown ending on the Yediyurappa said. make them use force and blame far. NGOs take to the streets Offi cial goes on leave to feed the poor, jobless after censure by CM IANS negligence and the offi cials’ ten- Gautam Budhh Nagar, Noida dency to blame each other. IANS of the prominent food chains. Rasoi on Wheels Foundation, is In a video shared by a journal- New Delhi The kitchen provides free preparing several thousands of ist on Twitter, Adityanath can be lunch and dinner to private food packets to be distributed istrict Magistrate BN seen telling the Singh to “stop security guards, drivers and throughout the day at various Singh yesterday applied talking rubbish”. s a mass exodus of mi- jobless workers of the nearby points in the city. Dfor three-month leave “It is because of your rubbish grant workers from cit- areas. “We have to reach out to the and expressed his wish not to that we have reached this stage. Aies to villages is creating Amid the 21-day lockdown, needy, provide them fresh food continue in the coveted post. Instead of carrying out your re- huge problems for the govern- well-known NGO Prabhaav pockets... but at the same time The move comes after Ut- sponsibilities effi ciently, you are ment, several non-governmental Foundation has come up with a we also ensure all measures to tar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi passing on the blame to each organisations (NGOs) have come novel idea. safeguard our volunteers from Adityanath allegedly repri- other. It has been two months forward to provide food, shelter It is providing entire ration being infected by the dreaded vi- manded Singh for the district’s since we had issued an alert for and other resources to them. packets to low-income groups to rus,” said Manika Badhwar of the coronavirus cases which are the the state (for Covid-19),” the A website – covid-relief. survive through a fortnight. Rasoi Foundation. highest in the state. chief minister said in a strict in – has also been set up by the “The free ration pack includes The NGO, as the name sug- Singh said that he had been tone. Delhi government where all such 5kg rice, 3kg atta (wheat fl our), 1 gests, is a mobile kitchen and working 18 hours a day but now During an inspection of dif- NGOs are listed, and can be con- litre of edible oil, pulses, 1kg of serves free meal boxes to the un- did not wish to continue in the ferent places in Gautam Budhh tacted by relief agencies as well sugar and plenty of other things derprivileged. district due to accusations of in- Nagar, Adityanath said the cur- as the needy for free distribution including spices,” said Bharti Another NGO, MCKS Food for capability. rent situation was a result of lax of food and clothes. Puri Sharma of Prabhaav Foun- Hungry Foundation, is also car- In his leave application, Singh imposition of the lockdown in Well-sanitised kitchens have dation. rying out such activities. urged the Uttar Pradesh Chief the district. been set up at various places in For free distribution of ration, “We are distributing food to Secretary to appoint another The meeting on the Gautam the national capital and fresh the NGO has selected pockets over 12,000 people daily since offi cer to ensure the eff orts to Buddh University campus came food along with packets of es- mainly consisting of slum areas the lockdown. The food con- combat the disease do not suf- in the wake of 34 suspected and sential grocery items are being or where workers of low income sists of bread, rusk, khichdi etc., fer. confi rmed coronavirus positive supplied under the guidance of groups reside. which are being prepared at our Adityanath earlier held a cases in the district that adjoins the local administration and po- Co-founded by Parul Kumar main kitchen in Vasant Kunj. meeting to discuss the eff orts Delhi. lice. and associated with the NITI Seeing the volume of the dis- amid a 21-day nationwide lock- Sources said offi cers get long In Connaught Place, a huge Aayog, Prabhaav Foundation is tribution, a satellite kitchen has down. duration leave in normal cir- kitchen has been set up in E working in close co-ordination also been established at Punjabi A visibly angry chief minis- cumstances, but approvals for block by traders’ association with the Delhi police. Bagh,” MCKS team member Se- Homeless people sit in lines outside a shelter to get food in New ter said the spike in coronavi- it are not possible during crisis which includes owners of some Another Delhi-based NGO, jal told IANS. Delhi yesterday. rus cases was due to apathy and situations. Gulf Times 14 Tuesday, March 31, 2020 INDIA

Curbs leave garment workers stranded in factory housing

Reuters ti-billion dollar garment stuck in and Development Centre, which and spinning mills operate in Tamil The teams will ensure that SIMA is urging its members to ment to allow the partial reo- Chennai factory hostels where rooms are helps garment workers. Nadu, with many running hostels factories remain closed, moni- pay their workers at least half of pening of factories as this would shared by up to a dozen people. “We are very concerned for on their premises to house their staff tor sanitation and hygiene, and their wages while closed. enable shift working and free up Most manufacturing units and these young workers as many – most of whom are young women check on workers’ health, she The federal government and space in hostel rooms to facilitate he coronavirus pandemic spinning mills in the southern have been in and out of the fac- and migrant workers. added. Tamil Nadu state have instructed better social distancing. has left tens of thou- state of Tamil Nadu are closed – tory before the lockdown was an- Social distancing is key to con- The Southern India Mills’ As- factories to pay salaries during “We want to start production Tsands of garment workers those supplying to hospitals re- nounced,” he told the Thomson taining the spread of the virus in sociation (SIMA) – a trade body the lockdown, and provide work- so that workers are not sitting stranded in cramped accommo- main open – leaving workers in Reuters Foundation by phone. the sector, said state health sec- representing about 500 factories ers with food and shelter. idle in rooms,” Kandaswamy said. dation on factory premises where close proximity and raising con- India has at least 1,071 cases of retary Beela Rajesh. – has also instructed members Temporary factory closures “It will help in social distanc- social distancing is diffi cult to cerns that they could unknow- the coronavirus and 29 have died. “All factories have been made to ensure all workers on their and layoff s have already begun to ing as well since rooms will not put into practice, labour rights ingly be spreading the virus. Offi cials say India is weeks aware of this,” Rajesh said. premises are given due care. hit garment workers across Asia be overcrowded. campaigners said yesterday. “Hostel conditions are not ide- away from a major surge in cases “Besides, the industries and “But there are challenges and – from India and Bangladesh to “We understand the implica- A three-week nationwide al at all under the circumstanc- that could overwhelm its weak labour department offi cials have social distancing is probably the Cambodia – with top global brands tions of coronavirus and well- lockdown has left an estimated es,” said R Karuppusamy, direc- public health system. set up teams to monitor and in- toughest,” said Selvaraju Kan- delaying or cancelling orders. being of workers is of utmost im- 300,000 workers in India’s mul- tor of charity Rights Education About 40,000 garment factories spect factories.” daswamy, its general secretary. SIMA has asked the govern- portance.” Police fi re tear gas at jobless workers defying virus lockdown

Agencies India has registered 1,071 two days to get from Haryana New Delhi cases of the coronavirus, of state to the bus terminal. whom 29 have died, the health Around 90,000 people were ministry said yesterday. transported in buses on Sunday olice fired tear gas to Yesterday, hundreds of peo- from Ghaziabad outside Delhi, disperse a stone-pelting ple from the Nizamuddin West the Times of India reported. A municipal worker sprays disinfectant on migrant workers before they board a bus to return to their villages, during a 21-day nationwide lockdown Pcrowd of migrant workers area of New Delhi were taken Late on Sunday the federal to slow the spread of coronavirus disease (Covid-19), in Lucknow, India, yesterday. defying a three-week lockdown away to be quarantined in the government ordered all district against the coronavirus that latest sign that the virus has and state borders closed in a bid has left hundreds of thousands begun to spread locally in In- to stop the exodus, and directed of poor without jobs and hun- dia. local authorities to organise gry, authorities said yesterday. Officials said attendees of a temporary shelters. Prime Minister Narendra training course at the Bangle- Yesterday the crowds had Outrage as migrants sprayed Modi ordered the country’s wali Mosque had transmitted disappeared on the outskirts of 1.3bn people to remain indoors the virus to several other re- Delhi. until April 15, declaring such gions in India, including Kash- The city government said it self-isolation was the only mir where a man connected was now feeding 400,000 peo- hope to stop the viral pandem- with the event died on March ple, with more than 550 schools with disinfectant in Bareilly ic. 26. providing shelter. But the vast shutdown has “The (mosque) area has al- Maharashtra, another big triggered a humanitarian cri- ready been locked down and it magnet for migrant labourers, Agencies did the UP govt allow this to hap- foot and left Bareilly,” he said. the fl ight or had come in contact sis, with hundreds of thou- will be disinfected,” said Ra- has set up 262 relief camps and New Delhi pen!?” asked senior Congress In other developments, Goa’s with the passengers have also sands of poor migrant labour- jendra Prasad Meena, a senior was providing shelter to 70,399 leader Jitin Prasada. Directorate of Health Services been asked to self quarantine.” ers employed in big cities such police officer overseeing the people, Chief Minister Uddhav The former federal minister, (DHS) asked passengers who In New Delhi, Prime Minister as Delhi and Mumbai seeking quarantine operation. Thackeray tweeted. ealth workers caused said: “The mistreatment of these travelled on a Vistara fl ight from Narendra Modi urged social wel- to head to their homes in the A health official said the Authorities ordered a race- outrage yesterday by already persecuted migrants at Mumbai to Goa on March 22, fare organisations to support the countryside on foot after losing large-scale movement of peo- track outside Delhi that hosted Hspraying a group of mi- the hands of government offi cials which had a Covid-19 positive government in its battle against their jobs. ple into the countryside risked a Formula One race in 2011 be grants with disinfectant, amid is despicable”. patient, to report to health au- the virus. Many have been walking for spreading the coronavirus used to house 5,000 migrant fears that a large-scale move- Mohamed Afzal, a migrant, thorities immediately. Interacting with representa- days, some with families in- widely, compounding the chal- workers, the Times of India re- ment of people from cities to the said, “About 50 of us were wait- “One of the patients declared tives of social organisations cluding small children, on de- lenge of containing the out- ported. countryside risked spreading the ing for food and bus when some positive for coronavirus on through video link, Modi said the serted highways with little ac- break in the world’s second Uttar Pradesh has announced coronavirus. men in protective suits came and March 29 at Goa Medical College nation was facing an “unprec- cess to food or water. most populous country. aid and set up 600 shelter Footage showed a group of mi- began spraying water on us. They has a travel history from New edented crisis and needs their Yesterday, about 500 work- “It’s an evolving situation homes that will act as quaran- grant workers sitting on a street claimed to be from the sanitisa- York to Mumbai and then by Vis- service and resources like never ers clashed with police in the with daily new challenges com- tine centres, local official Alok in Bareilly, a district in the north- tion team and were sanitising us. tara domestic fl ight UK861 from before.” Gujarat city of Surat demand- ing up, like having migratory Kumar said. ern state of Uttar Pradesh, as The children began crying and Mumbai to Goa on March 22,” a These organisations, he said, ing they be allowed to go home populations moving from one He was unable to say how health offi cials in protective suits women were also shocked.” notice issued by DHS said. could play a huge role in arrang- to other parts of the country place to another. Like non-af- many people were still on the used hose pipes to douse them in According to sources, the team “Hence, people currently in ing basic necessities for the poor, because they had no jobs left. fected states adjoining affected road. disinfectant, prompting anger on sprayed the group with a diluted Goa who had travelled on the and by dedicating their medical “The police tried to con- states,” said Dr S K Singh, di- Former federal health secre- social media. mixture of sodium hypochlorite. fl ight should immediately report facilities and volunteers to serve vince them that it is not pos- rector of the National Centre tary Sujatha Rao said it was not Nitish Kumar, the top govern- Sodium hypochlorite is the to Helpline 104 or call 0832- patients and the needy. sible since buses or trains are for Disease Control, which in- known if the virus had spread ment offi cial in the district, said main ingredient of laundry 24218100/2225538 or report to The nation needed both short- not available...However, the vestigates and recommends from the urban travelling mid- health workers had been ordered bleach and is used extensively the nearest health centre,” the and long-term vision to over- workers refused to budge, and control measures for outbreaks dle class to rural migrants, but to disinfect buses being used by as bleaching agent in the textile, notice said. come the challenge, he said. started pelting stones at po- of illness. if it had, such large congre- the local authorities but in their detergents, and paper and pulp The person who travelled on Observing that people have lice,” Surat Deputy Commis- At the weekend in Delhi, mi- gations of people would be a zeal had also turned their hoses industries. the fl ight is one of the fi ve Cov- been seen gathering and fl outing sioner of Police Vidhi Chaud- grant workers and their fami- worry. on migrant workers. It is also used as a disinfectant. id-19 positive cases in Goa and social distancing norms in the hari said. lies fought and shoved their “If any one of them has in- “I have asked for action to be Afzal said after the spray, chil- had travelled to Goa from the Ba- name of belief, Modi urged them She said the workers, most way onto buses organised by deed got the infection, it cer- taken against those responsible dren complained of itching in hamas via New York. to help counter superstitions, of them employed in the shut- Uttar Pradesh government. tainly can spread very rapidly for this,” he said in a tweet. eyes and some women developed In a statement, a Vistara beliefs and misinformation. tered textile industry in Surat, “I couldn’t afford the room as the poor in urban metros live The opposition Congress rashes. spokesperson said: “We have The prime minister noted the were driven indoors by tear gas we had so there was no choice, in very crowded accommoda- slammed the Uttar Pradesh gov- “The chemical had a strange provided all relevant informa- nation was displaying immense volleys and 93 of them were we had to leave,” said Ranjit tion. ernment. smell. After this, most of us de- tion to the authorities for contact resilience, grit and patience in detained for violating lock- Kumar, who walked with his Social distancing is not an “Who is in-charge and how cided to continue our journey on tracing. Staff who had operated facing the Covid-19 challenge. down orders. wife and two-year-old son for option for them,” Rao said. Internet curbs in Kashmir ‘We failed to do right hamper coronavirus fi ght thing at right time’ IANS Winner of the prestigious Dr Reuters groups to completely ease restric- in their schools but had been un- Thiruvananthapuram BC Roy Award, John served at Srinagar tions, the government has refused. able to introduce them. the Christian Medical College in Most people in the region lack “We are unable to connect Vellore from 1967 to 1995, and broadband connections. with the students due to Internet Kerala virologist with was for 15 years the chief of the he federal Health Ministry Dr Suhail Naik, president of connectivity. It is 2G and they are decades of experience Centre of Advanced Research in yesterday invited doctors the main doctors’ association in unable to download study mate- Ayesterday said India had Virology. Tin Jammu and Kashmir Kashmir, said education drives rial,” he said. failed to do the right thing at the “First, we were told that 14 to an online training session on seen elsewhere in India about the “I fail to understand why they right time in its fi ght against the hours is enough, then it was said managing ventilators – criti- symptoms of the virus are im- aren’t restoring high speed In- coronavirus pandemic. 80 districts in the country will go cal equipment for patients with possible to run in the region. ternet. Earlier, they had an ex- T Jacob John told IANS that in a lockdown. Then came the 21- Covid-19, the disease caused by “We want to educate people cuse of law and order problems, the central government did not day nationwide lockdown. Now, the new coronavirus. through videos, which is not but now there is curfew and fear ensure a system was in place to we are told by a senior bureaucrat Most, however, were unable to possible at 2G speed. We are of coronavirus and no one would respond to the unfolding medi- that there is no plan to extend attend because of long-running handicapped in the absence of dare to come out.” cal crisis and was now respond- the lockdown beyond April 14. curbs on the Internet that have high speed Internet,” he said. Vasudha Gupta, a spokeswom- ing on a day-to-day basis, which These are all soothing words,” prevented those living in Kash- In a letter to offi cials, human an for the federal Home Ministry, was wrong. John said. mir from accessing information rights group the Internet Free- which is responsible for policy in “India has failed to do the He said what he was experi- about the coronavirus, which has dom Foundation said Internet Kashmir, declined to comment. right thing at the right time. It encing was a “deep moral anger”. infected more than a thousand speeds in Kashmir were “woe- As in blockaded Gaza, Kash- is now doing the right thing at “What the statement should people in India, killing 29. fully insuffi cient” to spread the miris have taken to social media the wrong time. There was lot of have been is that ‘we will re- The Muslim majority region message around combating the to joke about similar conditions time with the government. The assess the situation after two has been tense since New Delhi coronavirus threat. now facing all of India. fi rst thing that should have been weeks’. That would have been a stripped it of autonomy and Internet curbs have also hin- “If anyone wants tips on sur- done was to set up a task force hugely credible statement. What statehood in August. dered eff orts to home-school viving quarantine or a lockdown, to advise the government as this if the prime minister extends Authorities detained thousands children. I have months of experience at is a ‘human problem’ and not an it by another 21 days, what will and introduced one of the world’s G N Var, president of the All my disposal,” former chief min- administrative one,” said the ex- happen to today’s statement by longest-running Internet shut- Private Schools Association in ister Omar Abdullah said in a pert with around six decades of the senior offi cial?’” downs, only restoring limited 2G Kashmir, said the organisation tweet, after being released from professional expertise in dealing He said the lockdown was es- mobile internet in January. had prepared online classes for eight months of detention with- A view of deserted roads outside the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj with infectious diseases at the sential, but it should have been Despite pleas from several rights the 650,000 children studying out trial on March 24. Terminus in Mumbai yesterday. highest level. done in a planned manner. Gulf Times Tuesday, March 31, 2020 15 LATIN AMERICA

Lopez Obrador ignores virus restrictions to visit El Chapo’s mum

Guardian News and Media stop the spread of coronavirus. there. Video footage that went sponse to coronavirus, and his one sense”, he added. This is a terrible way to distract tives were making over his en- Mexico City But less than 24 hours later viral showed the left-wing popu- outing sparked further anger Marko Cortes, an opposition from it … none of this helps Amlo counter with El Chapo’s mother. Lopez Obrador ignored that ad- list – who most call Amlo – shak- – with many noting that the leader from the National Ac- or the country,” Grillo added. “They told me she was there vice and journeyed to Badiragua- ing the hand of El Chapo’s elderly visit had coincided with the 30th tion Party (Pan), described the Amlo, who was making his and wanted to greet me so I got exico’s President, An- to – the birthplace and former mother, María Consuelo Loera birthday of El Chapo’s son, Ovid- meeting as an insult to victims of second visit to Badiraguato since out of my truck and greeted her. dres Manuel Lopez Ob- stomping ground of Joaquín “El Pérez, as she sat in her car. io Guzman Lopez. Mexico’s cartels and members of taking power in 2018, has pledged She’s a 92-year-old woman,” Mrador, has sparked per- Chapo” Guzman, the world- “Don’t get out,” Amlo can be Last October heavily armed car- the armed forces who were risk- to lift the long-neglected drug- Mexico’s president said. plexity and scorn by visiting the famous narco boss who was last heard telling the 91-year-old tel gunmen brought Sinaloa’s cap- ing their lives to tackle them. producing region out of poverty. Corruption was Mexico’s home town of his country’s most year jailed for life in the US. woman, before adding: “I got ital, Culiacan, to a standstill in or- “You must urgently explain your Writing on Twitter, Mexico’s “plague”, Amlo insisted, “not a infamous drug lord and greeting Located in the northern state your letter.” der to secure Ovidio’s release after connection to this family,” Cortes leader said he visited the Sierra pensioner who deserves my full the gangster’s mother – despite of Sinaloa, Badiraguato is part of Also visible in the footage, his home was raided by the army. tweeted. Madre region “to connect with respect — whoever her son might a plea from his own government Mexico’s so-called Golden Tri- putting his arm around Mexico’s “It is very hard to understand Ioan Grillo, the author of the marginalised communities and be”. for Mexicans to stay indoors. angle, a poor and mountainous president, is a man identifi ed as what the president did today in book El Narco: Inside Mexico’s villages”. Amlo defended his ac- “Sometimes, because it’s my Mexico’s deputy health min- marijuana- and poppy-growing Jose Luis Gonzalez Meza, a Guz- Badiraguato,” tweeted the Mexican Criminal Insurgency, said Amlo’s tions at a press conference in job, I have to give my hand to ister on Saturday implored the region long at the heart of the man family representative. journalist Pascal Beltran del Río. visit was a mistake. “He needs to Mexico City yesterday morn- white-collar criminals” Amlo country’s 130mn citizens not to country’s drug trade. Amlo has been widely criti- Amlo had “failed to keep a be 100% leading the country in ing dismissing the “scandal” he added. “So how could I not give it leave home in an “urgent” bid to The controversy did not end cised for his lackadaisical re- healthy distance – in more than the fi ght against the pandemic. claimed only Mexican conserva- to an old lady?” Cruise fi rm still searching for port for virus ship

AFP “No assurances have been Panama City given that they will be escorted from the ship to either a treat- ment facility or placed in quar- assengers on a virus- antine. This is completely un- stricken cruise liner en- acceptable,” Trantalis said on Ptered the Panama Canal Twitter. in Central America after they “We cannot add further risk were told the company was still to our community amid our own searching for a port which will health crisis here with thousands allow them to disembark, even as of people already testing positive they pleaded for help. for the deadly and contagious The Panama Canal Authority Covid-19 virus,” Trantalis said, said the Zaandam liner had en- adding that the National Guard Firefighters, soldiers and workers from the off ice of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) set up atemporary hospital to care for those infected with tered the canal, which connects and the department of homeland coronavirus in Cucuta, Colombia, on the border with Venezuela. the Atlantic and Pacifi c oceans, security “must create a plan to after transferring healthy pas- protect the community.” sengers to another ship and re- Passengers showing no signs stocking supplies. of the virus were ferried a short Holland America Line presi- distance to a sister ship, the Rot- dent Orlando Ashford admit- terdam, off Panama. ted they were still searching for The Rotterdam had arrived a port after the mayor of Fort from San Diego carrying medical Lauderdale — the ship’s intended staff , testing kits and food for the ELN rebels declare virus destination — said the Florida beleaguered vessel. city could not take the risk of ac- The Rotterdam also began cepting the passengers. transiting through the Panama Ashford said in a video mes- Canal, authorities said. sage the company was still try- In his message, Ashford said ing to “fi gure out” where to he wanted to dispel a “myth” disembark passengers from the that one was a “healthy ship” ceasefi re after UN plea stricken Zaandam liner — four of and the other a “sick ship.” whom have died. “Whether you’re isolated on DPA/Reuters attacked by state forces. “It is encouraging that the ELN cease-fi re orders from central As a precondition to holding The situation was “diffi cult the Zaandam or isolated on the Stockholm The group called on the govern- has declared a unilateral cease- commanders in the past. peace talks Duque has demanded and unprecedented,” he said. Rotterdam, the way that we pro- ment of President Ivan Duque to fi re to combat the common threat The leftist organisation oppos- the group, which has around 2,000 The Zaandam had been stuck tect the health of those of you engage in dialogue about a possible Covid-19 represents,” Norwe- es the activities of multinational combatants, declare a unilateral in the Pacifi c Ocean since March that are healthy is to make sure he leftist National Lib- extension of the ceasefi re. gian Foreign Minister Ine Erik- companies, claiming they seize cease-fi re, including a suspension 14 after dozens of the 1,800 peo- that you’re isolated safely while eration Army (ELN) rebel The news comes one week after sen Soreide said, adding that she natural resources from Colombia of kidnappings and attacks against ple on board reported fl u-like we fi gure out where it is that Tgroup in Colombia yester- United Nations secretary general hoped other armed groups would without benefi ting its people. the oil and gas industry, and that symptoms and several South we’re going to take you.” day declared a unilateral ceasefi re Antonio Guterres called for an im- follow suit. Former president Juan Manuel its fi ghters group together under American ports refused to let it Apologising to passengers, for a month starting on April 1 in an mediate global ceasefi re to protect Talks between the Colombian Santos began peace talks with the international observation. dock. Ashford said: “It’s been a tough eff ort to support the fi ght against war-ravaged communities from government and the ELN were ELN during his tenure, but it is The ELN has rejected the de- Panama on Saturday reversed last several days.” the novel coronavirus. the coronavirus pandemic. suspended in January 2019 after unclear whether current President mands. its decision to block the Zaan- The Zaandam left Buenos “The National Liberation Army Health authorities in the An- the leftist guerillas killed 22 people Ivan Duque plans to resume nego- In the statement, the rebel dam from its canal, and said it Aires on March 7 and was sup- considers it prudent to declare dean country have reported 702 in a car bombing at a Bogota police tiations. group also asked the government would be allowed to transit from posed to arrive two weeks later an active unilateral cease-fi re for cases and 10 deaths of Covid-19, academy. The ELN called on the govern- to reduce prison populations in the Pacifi c to the Caribbean side at San Antonio, near Santiago, one month, until April 30, in a hu- which has been described as a The ELN, a rebel group with ment to meet its delegation from the midst of the health emergency for humanitarian reasons. Chile. manitarian gesture from the ELN pandemic by the World Health Or- about 2,000 combatants, has car- collapsed peace talks in Cuba to by freeing “political prisoners” But Fort Lauderdale mayor Since a brief stop in Punta to the Colombian people, who are ganization. ried out dozens of attacks in recent arrange a bilateral and temporary and that it grant a subsidy to the Dean Trantalis later said allow- Arenas in Chilean Patagonia on suff ering from the devastation of The Norwegian foreign min- years. The group is considered a cease-fi re. unemployed and suspend loan re- ing the Zaandam to dock in his March 14, it has been turned the coronavirus,” the leftist rebel istry, which has for several years terrorist organisation by the US Duque cancelled possible nego- payments. city was “completely unaccepta- away from several ports after group said in a statement pub- been involved in eff orts to facilitate and the European Union, as well as tiations with the group following The government was not im- ble” as no special assurances had reporting that 42 people aboard lished on its website. talks between the Colombian gov- by Colombia. a January 2019 car bomb attack at mediately able to comment on the been given about the passengers’ were suff ering from flu-like The group added that it re- ernment and the ELN, referred to ELN units operate largely inde- a police academy in Bogota that unilateral cease-fi re or the ELN’s onward travel arrangements. symptoms. served the right to defend itself if the news as “encouraging.” pendently and some have ignored killed 22 cadets. demands. Bolsonaro looks to Guaido urges forming thwart lockdown

Reuters comes while taking precautions an emergency govt not to catch Covid-19, the res- Brasilia piratory illness caused by the Reuters gency, to increase the number country’s military to rise up virus. Caracas of hospital beds and ventilators, against Maduro to end the coun- resident Jair Bolsonaro vis- He has also lashed out at state to provide (water) for hospitals,” try’s economic crisis and create ited a market area just out- and municipal offi cials who, in Guaido said in a video interview, a transition government, but the Pside the Brazilian capital to steps aimed at saving lives im- enezuela should form an referencing the lack of running military’s top brass stuck with press home his case for keeping plemented tough lockdowns, emergency government water in many public medical fa- Maduro despite the country’s Latin America’s largest economy closed non-essential businesses Vmade up of the opposi- cilities. economic crisis. ticking instead of locking down and banned public meetings, tion and some members of the “We have an existing humani- Humanitarian organisations activities to combat the spread of even in churches. Twitter re- ruling Socialist Party to receive tarian emergency in Venezuela, have for years said Venezuela is the coronavirus. moved the video of Bolsonaro foreign aid needed to confront which will worsen the pandem- suff ering widespread hunger due But Bolsonaro offi ce’s social speaking to the street vendor. the coronavirus outbreak, oppo- ic.” to an economic collapse that has media campaign “Brazil can’t Twitter said in a statement it sition leader Juan Guaido said in The emergency government fuelled the migration of nearly stop” was banned by a federal recently changed its worldwide an interview. would not include Maduro or 5mn people since 2015. judge and ran into a barrage of rules on content that counters President Nicolas Maduro has other top allies, he said, a group Maduro last year blocked criticism from state governors, public health recommendations been broadly discredited among of whom were indicted by the US Guaido’s allies from bringing politicians, public health experts and could put people at greater Western nations after his dis- department of justice on Thurs- US-backed humanitarian aid and even his own health minister. risk of transmitting Covid-19. puted 2018 re-election, leaving day on accusations of narco-ter- into the country via neighbour- In Taguatinga, a low-income Bolsonaro told reporters he few foreign fi nanciers willing to rorism. ing Colombia, describing the ef- suburb of Brasilia, Bolsonaro was considering an executive provide funds to improve a health He declined to reveal the fort as a veiled invasion. stopped in a normally bustling decree that would allow all pro- care system decimated by years names of potential participants. Delivering aid has also been market square to speak to a man fessionals and informal sector of economic crisis. Maduro has dismissed Guaido complicated by the broad ques- selling barbecued meat on skew- workers to work if their income is Guaido, who has been recog- as a puppet of the US and in the tioning of Maduro’s legitimacy ers. “We have to work. There are vital to feed their families. nised by more than 50 nations past has rebuff ed calls to step and accusations that he and his deaths, but we cannot stop,” the Despite confi rmed Brazilian as the country’s rightful presi- aside. allies are involved in illicit activi- man said, according to a video cases of Covid-19 almost tripling dent, said a coalition govern- He denies charges of involve- ties. posted on the president’s Face- in seven days to 4,256 by Sunday, ment would be able to convince ment in the drug trade. Venezuela as of Sunday had book and Twitter accounts. “If Bolsonaro has continued to deny multilateral agencies to provide Venezuela’s information min- reported 129 cases of coronavirus we do not die of the illness, we the gravity of the disease, calling $1.2bn in fi nancing to address the istry did not immediately reply and three deaths, and the coun- will die of hunger.” it “a small cold” that would kill outbreak. to a request for comment on try remains under quarantine or- Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro meets supporters as he leaves Bolsonaro said he had main- only old people. “It’s crucial that we attend Guaido’s proposal. dered by Maduro to prevent the Alvorada Palace, as the spread of coronavirus disease continues, in tained that Brazilians need to The disease has caused 136 to the country’s health emer- Guaido in 2019 called on the spread of Covid-19. Brasilia yesterday. keep working to earn their in- deaths in Brazil so far. Gulf Times 16 Tuesday, March 31, 2020 PAKISTAN

Ban on Punjab Lockdown not for us: PM offi cials „ Premier orders opening of opening of all national highways smooth supply of essential items ditional salary and provide Shu- all highways for goods supply to ensure smooth and adequate across the country. hada package to those who lose supply of food items from farms/ Khan, she said, was informed their lives in the performance of speaking Internews factories to markets amid “panic that there is suffi cient quantity their duty. Islamabad buying” due to the coronavirus. of food items in the country, in- She said the PTI-led Khyber The meeting was informed cluding agriculture products like Pakhtunkhwa government had to media that the government had started wheat, rice, pulses and grains. allocated a sum of Rs32bn to rime Minister Imran Khan providing personal protection She said that a fund of Rs10bn fi ght the deadly disease, of which addressed the nation yes- equipment (PPE) to all medical had been allocated for the sup- Rs11.4bn would be spent on pro- Internews Pterday, saying that he had practitioners, including doctors ply of rations and provision of viding rations and stipend to Lahore not imposed a nationwide lock- and paramedical staff currently Rs4,000 each as stipend to the 1.9mn poor families. down as the poor would suff er. performing their duty in diff er- poor and needy people. Awan said the coverage of the “If we cannot provide food to ent hospitals, and that intensive “In the fi rst step, 2.5mn peo- BISP under the government’s n an attempt to tackle fake the people of the country, then care units (ICUs) and quarantine ple already registered under the fl agship Ehsaas programme is news and misinformation this lockdown will not be suc- centres had been established Benazir Income Support Pro- being enhanced, with 5mn more Isurrounding the coronavi- cessful,” he said. across the country for coronavi- gramme (BISP) will get Rs4,000 benefi ciaries to be included. rus, the Punjab government has “Look at India. Their prime rus patients. per month through Easypaisa, The KP and Punjab govern- barred unauthorised health of- minister said sorry to the people In case of the death of any while those not in the database ments would give additional fi cials from speaking with the today for imposing a lockdown,” of the medical practitioners on will get the money through the Rs2,000 per month to the BISP media. Khan added. duty, he/she would be given Shu- relevant deputy commissioners,” benefi ciaries, she added. The coronavirus causes the The prime minister compared Prime Minister Khan: ordered strict action against those involved in hada [martyr] package, it was she said, adding that those BISP Awan said that the National Covid-19 disease. the relief package of the United hoarding, black marketing, and charging exorbitant prices. told. benefi ciaries who are already Disaster Management Author- The notifi cation, seen by Geo. States with Pakistan, saying that “The core committee was ap- receiving monetary assistance ity (NDMA) is establishing fi ve tv, states that in the “wake of the there was no comparison be- will provide food to the people tion and that government insti- prised that although the prime would not get Rs4,000 stipend, coronavirus testing laboratories prevailing situation of Covid-19 tween the two. at their homes and educate them tutions need to play a vibrant role minister had ordered restoration as it is specially meant for the in the country, including two in epidemic, a lot of misinforma- “I announced a relief package on the safety precautions against in this crisis. of movement of goods transport poor and daily wagers who had Karachi, which would double the tion is being transmitted on of $8bn and the US announced a the coronavirus. The prime minister directed in the whole county a couple of lost their source of income due to authority’s capacity to conduct electronic and print media”. $2tn,” he said. He said that the government the minister for national food se- days ago, almost 80% of goods the countrywide lockdown. test of suspected patients. Offi cials of public sector hos- The prime minister said that is opening an account with the curity to keep an eye on the avail- transport was still off the road Awan said that the Pakistan Responding to a question pitals and institutions in the the nation will battle the coro- name “Prime Minister Corona ability of essential items in the due to certain restrictions made Tekreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-led Pun- about the role of the opposi- province, which come under navirus with two key elements: Relief Fund”, which will help aid country and to ensure that there by provincial governments, in- jab government would provide tion, she said that the politicians Punjab’s Specialised Healthcare faith and Pakistan’s young popu- people aff ected by the pandemic. is no shortage of fl our, pulses, cluding the blocking of national Rs4,000 stipend to 8,000 poor should help the government in and Medical Education Depart- lation. Khan said that the account will rice, ghee and sugar. highways,” Special Assistant to families in all 302 constituencies this time of need and avoid criti- ment, are then directed to not “We have to combat coronavi- be opened in the National Bank of He also called for constituting the Prime Minister (SAPM) on of the provincial assembly. cism for the sake of criticism. “give any statement or interview rus and use these two strengths Pakistan. a special committee, comprising Information Dr Firdous Ashiq The provincial government, “If they are criticising the gov- to the print or electronic media to win the war [against coronavi- He called on the people to do- federal and provincial authori- Awan said at a post-meeting she said, would establish eight ernment, they are in fact criti- about the pandemic without rus],” he said. nate generously to the account, ties, to monitor the situation of press conference. laboratories to fi ght coronavirus, cising those sons and daughters prior approval from the compe- The coronavirus causes the and said that no questions will be food on daily basis and present She said that Prime Minister and had started the process of who are performing their duties tent authority”. Covid-19 disease. asked about the money which is its recommendations. Khan was quite concerned over appointing 10,000 doctors and in every fi eld of life, putting their The letter also states that a The prime minister announced donated. Special Assistant on Social reports about the shortage of paramedical staff . lives in danger of coronavirus panel of experts will be appoint- a “Corona Tigers Relief Force”, Earlier, the prime minister Protection Dr Sania Nishtar gave food items in many parts of the “These labs will carry out spread,” Awan added. ed, known as the Corona Experts which would aid the administra- presided at a high-level meeting a detailed briefi ng to the prime country, and had ordered strict 3,200 tests in a day to exactly as- She said the prime minister Advisory Group, who will be tion and the armed forces in con- in Islamabad, at which he under- minister regarding steps taken to action against those involved in certain the number of coronavi- is treating all provinces equally, available to the media for com- taining the coronavirus. scored the government’s resolve provide relief to vulnerable seg- hoarding, black marketing, and rus patients in the province.” and those being ruled by opposi- ments or expert opinion, adding He said that a dedicated cell to take all-out steps to provide ments in the context of prevailing the charging of exorbitant prices. The adviser said that in order tion parties – Azad Jammu Kash- that “if a doctors considers him/ at the Prime Minister’s Offi ce is possible relief to people and eve- situation. Awan said that the prime min- to give recognition to the serv- mir (AJK), Gilgit-Baltistan and herself an expert on the subject, monitoring the spread of the vi- ry sector of the economy. Khan has also ordered the ister had held consultations with ices of doctors and other medi- Sindh – are also given the same he/she may fi rst seek” authority rus. Khan said that the country is removal of all hurdles to the the provinces and would an- cal practitioners, the government assistance that the Centre is pro- or to be added to the group. Khan said that the relief force facing an unprecedented situa- transportation of goods and the nounce a road map to ensure the would give them one-month ad- viding to the PTI-led provinces. The notifi cation, signed by the secretary of the healthcare and medical department, has Distance education been sent to all vice-chancellors of the public sector medical uni- Volunteers provide versities, principals, heads of the health institutions in Pun- jab, medical superintendent 3D-print ventilators, of teaching hospitals, and the administrator of Shaikh Zayed join anti-virus war Hospital in Lahore. Three more polio Internews “Our non-contact thermome- Karachi ter will be much more aff ordable. cases found in KP We have done its lab test and sent it to the Punjab Health Depart- Three boys have been paralysed he coronavirus, which ment for fi eld testing,” he said. in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa by the causes the Covid-19 dis- He added the volunteers of his crippling polio disease, taking up Tease, is on the “prowl” group also have locally designed the current year’s tally to 36. across the globe, killing and sick- hazmat suits, face masks, and According to an off icial of the ening people by the thousands. face shields to protect those who National Institute of Health (NIH), People in Pakistan are ex- come in contact with Covid-19 a nine-month-old boy infected tremely scared, and rightfully so patients, especially healthcare with the polio virus, who is a because the country’s healthcare providers. resident of District and Tehsil system would cave in if Covid-19 “Our hazmat suit is currently Lakki Marwat in Union Council cases surge quickly as has hap- in fi eld testing phase.” (UC) Abdul Khel, has suff ered pened in Europe, especially in About the PAC-V, Siddiqui paralysis in his right upper limb. Italy, and Iran. said it comprises doctors, bio- “A six-month-old boy, a resident In this depressing situation, a medical professionals, engi- of District Karak, Tehsil Takhti- group of volunteers is off ering a neers, academics, members of i-Nasrat, UC SG Khel, is infected glimmer of hope. the diaspora, resource mobilis- with polio and both lower limbs Pakistan Against Covid19 – ers, and other smaller groups. are paralysed. The third child is Volunteers (PAC-V), a group “It started off as a group of vefi 19-month-old boy, a resident of formed less than a week ago, is volunteers fi ve days ago, but now District Tank of Tehsil Jandola in using 3D printing to manufac- its membership is in the hun- UC Khesarai, and his lower limbs ture all the necessary medical dreds,” he said. “We started fi eld are paralysed,” he said. and safety equipment – includ- activity with a meagre amount of Polio is a disease caused by ing ventilators – to deal with the Rs10,000, but within two nights poliovirus, and mainly aff ects pandemic. Rs300,000 were pitched in.” children under the age of five. The group aims to produce “We got in touch with doctors The poliovirus invades the aff ordable ventilators, respira- at top hospitals in Pakistan, in- Commuters wait for the transport under a billboard in Rawalpindi during a government-imposed nationwide lockdown as a preventative nervous system and can cause tory valves, etc indigenously, at cluding the Aga Khan Hospital, measure against the coronavirus. paralysis and even death of a a large scale but within a short the Liaquat National Hospital child. time. and the Indus Hospital in Kara- The 3D printing process builds chi, and the Shifa International a three-dimensional object from in Islamabad, before launching a computer-aided design model, the initiative.” usually by successively adding Siddiqui said that the National Apex court halts plan to release prisoners from jails material layer by layer, which Disaster Management Authority is why it is also called additive (NDMA), the Pakistan Engineer- manufacturing. ing Council (PEC), the PAF, and DPA/Internews Those have a capacity of During the hearing yesterday, Lahore jail vacated aft er prisoner tests positive “Our fi rst 3D ventilator proto- various universities have shown Islamabad around 55,000, according to of- Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice type will be ready for testing in 10 interest in their initiative. fi cial statistics. Gulzar Ahmed questioned the The Punjab government has decided to use the district jail Lahore as a days. And it could be out within PAC-V spokesperson Fouad About 60% have seen their tri- powers of the IHC in issuing or- temporary quarantine hospital for prisoners after one of the inmates a fortnight,” said the initiative Bajwa added that no pharma- he Supreme Court of Pa- als drag on for years due to a weak ders to release prisoners to pre- tested positive for the coronavirus, which causes the Covid-19 disease. lead, Dr Bilal Siddiqui. ceutical company or investor is kistan has halted a release prosecution system and overbur- empt the spread of the virus in The screening of all the inmates has been started in groups of 30; their “We are also 3D printing a involved in the initiative as the Tof prisoners, ignoring fears dened judiciary, according to the prisons. results are awaited. splitter, which would allow med- group is solely working on vol- that overcrowded jail might be- government fi gures. “How can high courts take suo As many as 2,800 inmates of the jail would be shifted to diff erent jails in ics to use one vent to ventilate up untary basis. come a new breeding ground for Prison authorities fear they motu notice?” the top judge re- Hafizabad and Lodhran. to four patients,” he said, adding “So far the response has been the spread of coronavirus. might not be able to control the marked while reviewing a deci- The district jail will be used as a temporary quarantine hospital for that Pakistan Air Force (PAF) has immense,” he said, adding that A fi ve-judge bench in the capi- virus’ spread with limited re- sion taken by the IHC on March Covid-19 patients from any jail in the province. already off ered to field-test this top professionals are increas- tal, Islamabad, ruled that a plan sources and space, even if only 26, ordering the release of 24 When contacted, Inspector-General of Prisons Shahid Saleem Baig con- splitter. ingly joining the group in droves. of mass release must not be im- one inmate gets infected. under-trial suspects named in firmed that the district jail is being converted into a quarantine jail and The ventilator is not all that “Seven to eight design teams plemented out of fears, Attor- These fears were compounded National Accountability Bureau that its inmates are being shifted to other jails. the PAC-V is working on. are working right now. People are ney-General Khalid Jawed said, last week when a Pakistani-Ital- (NAB) references. “The quarantine jail will have 100 beds and other facilities required to “The 3D printed ventilator is even sharing their intellectual as nationwide coronavirus infec- ian man was tested positive at a The accountability bureau had look after coronavirus patients,” he said, adding arrangements to vacate one of many projects our group is property with the group,” said tions surged beyond 1,600. prison after his arrest on smug- contested the decision, with an the jail are being made. developing,” said Siddiqui, who Bajwa, who is also associated The apex court also barred the gling charges. additional prosecutor of the bu- He said one of the inmates of the district jail had been shifted to Mayo is a mechanical engineer by vo- with Bionics, a company that has high courts and the provincial His contacts are now being reau asking the court to arrange Hospital after his health started deteriorating on March 21. cation. manufactured Pakistan’s fi rst di- governments from passing any traced. for coronavirus testing of the The prisoner, a resident of Mandi Bahauddin, had returned from Italy in “We are also developing a alysis machine. “I’ve never seen further order regarding the re- “It will become a catastro- suspects on an immediate basis. December. non-contact thermometer to such an overwhelming response lease of prisoners. phe if we don’t move swiftly and “Why do you want to keep un- He was arrested by law enforcement agencies while smuggling drugs on check temperatures of coronavi- to such a not-for-profi t initiative The apex court further sus- wisely,” a prison offi cial told DPA, der-trial suspects in detention? March 8 and shifted to the jail. rus patients,” he added. in my life.” pended the implementation requesting anonymity. What if the virus spreads to other During imprisonment, his health condition deteriorated and on March 21 Covid-19 is a highly conta- Once the equipment are de- of the Islamabad High Court However, the Supreme Court prisoners while the test results he was shifted to the hospital. gious disease which particularly veloped, tested and approved for (IHC)’s orders regarding the re- bench said that judges would are awaited? Who will be respon- Medical teams have also been visiting Adiala jail and randomly checking puts healthcare providers at risk. medical use, then they will be lease of under-trial prisoners. fi rst lay down guidelines for who sible?” the IHC chief justice had the health condition of prisoners. “The Chinese-made non- deployed across the nation. Several lower courts last week should be released before allow- asked the prosecutor while issu- contact thermometer was avail- “Arrangements are underway ordered regional governments ing the government to execute ing the orders. able in the market at Rs3,500 for making available the funds to release prisoners in trial pro- the plan, the attorney-general “During trial, suspects are build up solid cases against sus- trial for minor crimes to prevent before the viral outbreak. Now for mass manufacturing by con- ceedings and those convicted on said. considered innocent until the pects and provide evidence in the spread of the coronavirus. its price has shot up to Rs35,000 necting idle 3D printer capac- minor charges to ease the con- At least 20 people have died trial has concluded,” IHC Chief court. IHC Chief Justice Minallah apiece,” said Siddiqui, who has ity as farms, and co-ordinating gestion in jails. from the infection so far, offi cial Justice Athar Minallah had noted In an earlier decision, the IHC issued the order after hearing a degrees in electrical engineering a manufacturing grid across the More than 77,000 inmates are data showed as of afternoon yes- in his remarks. had ordered the issuance of bail case regarding 1,362 prisoners and aerospace. nation,” he added. languishing in Pakistani jails. terday. He advised the prosecution to for prisoners who were facing incarcerated in crowded jails. Gulf Times Tuesday, March 31, 2020 17 PHILIPPINES Minister says too early to tell if virus curbs eff ective

DPA Manila

he Philippines’ health minister said yester- day it was too early to assess if a month-long Tlockdown aff ecting more than half of the country’s population would need to be extended to halt the spread of the novel coronavirus. As the lockdown on the main island of Luzon en- tered its third week, Health Secretary Francisco Duque said the cur- rent number of reported cases of Covid-19, the dis- ease caused by the virus, does not refl ect the real A medical worker wearing a protective mask rides a free shuttle service for healthcare workers following the suspension of mass status of the outbreak in the country. transportation in Metro Manila to contain the spread of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19), in Manila, yesterday. “The decision to lift or extend the lockdown will depend on the real status of Covid-19 in the Philip- pines, and the basis of that will be the testing,” he told DZBB radio station. Duque said that government laboratories capa- Health Secretary Francisco Duque. Fear on front lines as hospital staff ble of processing specimens still have a backlog in testing. “It’s too early to assess,” Duque said. “Remember “When that backlog becomes zero, then we will that in Wuhan, China, they started the lockdown know the real-time Covid-19 status in the Philip- on January 23 and, in fact, they are still restricted face threats, stigma over pandemic pines.” up to now. They have not completely lifted the The Department of Health reported 128 new lockdown after two months.” confi rmed infections yesterday, bringing the coun- Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire Reuters the threat every day in the hos- have asked a university to ac- A hospital in Japan’s Hyogo try’s total to 1,546. said the public should expect the number of con- Manila pital.” commodate staff who have been prefecture said patients, staff Seven additional deaths were reported, pushing fi rmed Covid-19 cases to increase as more facilities Such stigma is something the evicted from their lodgings due and families were enduring the death toll to 78, while recoveries remained at have been accredited to conduct testing. Philippines could do without, to coronavirus paranoia. psychological, economic and 42. “The aim is early detection for early treatment anitor Ritchie Estabillo was with hospitals already strug- Myanmar has 10 confi rmed reputational damage because The month-long lockdown in Luzon, where the and early recovery,” she said. “Let us all continue on his way to work when he gling with a shortage of protec- cases. of health rumours, with some capital Manila is located, took eff ect on March 16, to follow the quarantine rules so we can stop the Jwas confronted by fi ve men tive gear, manpower and testing “They worry that family refused transport and other and was supposed to be lifted on April 14. numbers from rising.” who poured bleach over his capacity, adding to uncertainty members and people will be in- services, or told not to come to face, one of a growing number about the extent of the virus fected. The dormitory owners work. of hospital staff suff ering abuse spread. told them to move out by the Yoshitake Yokokura, presi- in the Philippines amid panic There are signs of unease end of the month,” said Khin dent of the Japan Medical As- over coronavirus infections. about health workers in other Maung Win, rector of the Uni- sociation, said rumours and His employer said Estabillo developing nations with under- versity of Medicine, which has criticism could hurt doctors Senator’s call for improved pay had been checked over and was resourced public healthcare prepared 100 rooms for doctors. and “lead to a collapse of the unharmed but called the at- systems, like Myanmar and Evictions are also taking medical system”. tackers “vile individuals” who India, which have a history of place in the Philippines, where Public campaigns calling for volunteer health workers could have cost him his sight. tensions and paranoia being the department of health on for support for heroic doctors “Our (member of staff ) is a fanned easily by misinforma- Sunday said physical assault, and nurses have gained mo- breadwinner, as many of our tion on social media. harassment and discrimina- mentum in many countries, By Bernadette Tamayo qualifi ed volunteers an allow- ment could maximise volunteers frontliners are, who in the Medical workers have also tion could not be tolerated, and the World Health Organi- Manila Times ance, free food and accommoda- by giving them contracts similar present pandemonium choose won praise worldwide, with with some medical workers sation has said their safety is tion and insurance in case they to job orders so they could be com- to bravely continue their du- Britain scheduling a nationwide being fi ned at checkpoints for paramount. get infected with Covid-19. pensated on a daily rate for a lim- ties,” the St Louis Hospital in clap for National Health Serv- breaching lockdown laws, or But there was no hero treat- enator Christopher Law- So far, 593 health workers have ited time equivalent or close to the the province of Sultan Kudarat ice staff last week, and similar being refused transport and ment last week for one hos- rence “Bong” Go yesterday signed up, according to the DoH. amount received by actual govern- said of Friday’s incident. enthusiasm shown in India, laundry services. pital in Mariveles in the Phil- Surged the Departments of Qualifi ed volunteers will ment-employed health workers. “They remain unfazed by the France, Spain, Italy and else- A 29-year-old Manila nurse ippines, where residents put Health (DoH) and Budget and work in one of the three hos- He said Budget Secretary Wen- discrimination that healthcare where. who was among hundreds of up barricades to contain staff Management (DBM) to prop- pitals in Metro Manila where del Avisado and Health Secretary workers now face.” Some property owners in medical workers cleared after following the announcement erly compensate volunteer health coronavirus-related cases will Francisco Duque 3rd have agreed Estabillo was not alone. Portugal are off ering free ac- being quarantined as a precau- that a patient with coronavi- workers who help doctors and be referred: Lung Center of the “it is also possible for the govern- That same night, a nurse in commodation to health work- tion told Reuters his family was rus symptoms had died. nurses fi ght the coronavirus dis- Philippines, Philippine General ment to provide highly skilled vol- Cebu City had chlorine thrown ers who are afraid of exposing uncomfortable around him. The hospital’s director, Lou ease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic. Hospital and Dr. Jose N. Rod- unteers with compensation that at him, according to his supe- families to the coronavirus. His wife’s parents isolated Evangelista, now has skeleton Go made the appeal after the riguez Memorial Hospital. is close to the amount received by rior, who told Reuters the nurse But also in India, a medical him in a room. staff because workers are pet- DoH released on March 27 a call Go said aside from compensat- government health workers but was unharmed. association last week said doc- “I felt insulted because I’m rified. for “doctors, nurses, nurse as- ing volunteer health workers, the computed on a daily rate.” “Fund- “We are not the enemies tors were being left stranded not sick and I followed the dis- “They think we are conta- sistants and hospital orderlies DoH must expedite the procure- ing should not be a problem,” here,” said the doctor, who after being evicted due to fear infection guide,” said the nurse, gious”, she told a radio sta- able, healthy and willing to com- ment of test kits, ventilators, per- Go said, since according to the asked not to be identifi ed be- they could infect neighbours. who asked not to be named, and tion. “We are being bashed mit to work in the fi ght against sonal protective equipment and DBM, the amount may be charged cause she was not authorised to Doctors in Myanmar’s sec- has since moved elsewhere.”I on social media. We are being Covid-19.” other necessary tools to equip against the DoH’s Maintenance speak to media. “We are facing ond-biggest city, Mandalay, don’t even blame my in-laws.” threatened not to go out.” The DoH initially off ered hospitals. He said the govern- and Other Operating Expenses.

Govt receives 40,000 testing kits from Singapore Crashed aircraft’s

By Bernadette Tamayo is nothing wrong with the Real black box recovered Manila Times Time-Polymerase Chain Reac- tion machine which is used for generating positive or negative By Benjamin L Vergara rono Bautista, Tomelda Con- ingapore has donated result as the case may be!” Manila Times rado (a registered nurse), John 40,000 testing kits to “Again your test kits BGI and Richard Hurst (a Canadian), Sthe Philippines, when Sansure Biotechnology are very and Marilyn Vergara de Jesus (an the Chinese embassy in Ma- good and up to the standards viation authorities re- American citizen). The Manila nila insisted that its donation as those which were donated covered the black box of International Airport Author- of 100,000 kits were eff ective by WHO and approved by our Aa plane that crashed on ity (MIAA) said the runway was against the coronavirus disease RITM. Again our gratitude and Sunday night at the Ninoy Aqui- cleared of debris and reopened at 2019 (Covid-19). appreciation to you and the no International Airport (NAIA) 4.20am yesterday. Several lawmakers and some Chinese government,” Huang where eight people on board Initial reports by aviation offi - celebrities have been criticised quoted Duque in the statement. died. cials said that the plane encoun- in news reports and on social The embassy pointed out that The black box, which is re- tered technical problems while media after several people com- since the outbreak of the Cov- quired in any commercial fl ight rolling for takeoff . Reports also plained that they could not get id-19, “China has continually or corporate jet and are usually said that at 7.57pm, the plane Covid-19 tests at their local provided assistance as needed kept in the tail of an aircraft, will took off and burst into flames health facilities. to support the Philippines’ bat- give investigators information minutes later and crashed on the So far, those with severe cases tle against the epidemic.” on the accident. runway at about 8pm. were only being tested for Cov- “At this moment of crisis, Civil Aviation Authority of The Westwind 24, a seven to id-19 as the Philippines has a we should fi ght in solidar- the Philippines (CAAP) spokes- 10-seater plane, was reportedly limited supply of test kits. ity to overcome the epidemic at man Eric Apolonio, however, given an airworthiness certifi - Ambassador to the Philip- the earliest date. The Chinese said there was an ongoing inves- cate while the crew were also fi t pines Gerard Ho turned over embassy fi rmly rejects any ir- tigation by CAAP’s Aircraft Ac- to fl y in a medical-evacuation Singapore’s donations, which responsible remarks and any cident Investigation and Inquiry mission. included six ventilators, to Customers pass through an installed ‘disinfection tent’ at a public market in Taytay, Rizal. attempts to undermine our Board (AAIIB). “We will release Apolonio said all aircraft op- Chief of Presidential Protocol co-operation in this regard,” it (an) advisory within the day,” erated by Lion Air were now and Presidential Assistant on Ho earlier turned over to For- “According to the clarifi ca- problems, which are being used added. A chartered fl ight full Apolonio said in a text message grounded, meaning they could Foreign Aff airs Robert Borje eign Aff airs Secretary Teodoro tion of the DoH, the two batches in Philippine test laboratories of urgently needed medical and did not elaborate. not operate without clearance during a simple ceremony. Locsin Jr 3,000 Covid-19 test of 2,000 BGI PCR-type test kits and have helped accelerate the materials donated by China to The Haneda-bound Westwind from CAAP. The testing kits and two ven- kits and a polymerase chain re- and 100,000 Sansure PCR-type testing process.” the Philippines to address the 24 aircraft operated by Lion Air Aviation authorities, mean- tilators were donated by the action (PCR) machine. test kits donated by the Chinese “The test kits mentioned by Covid-19 epidemic arrived at with registry number RP-C5880 while, said due to the incident, Temasek Foundation, based in Also the Chinese embassy in government have been assessed the DoH offi cial on March 28 the Ninoy Aquino International caught fi re while taking off and an arriving Korean Airlines fl ight Singapore. The four other ven- Manila issued a statement say- by the Research Institute for during the press briefi ng were Airport (NAIA) on March 21. exploded on impact at the NAIA KE623 from Seoul-Incheon was tilators were donated by the Fil- ing the DoH has clarifi ed that Tropical Medicine (RITM) (and neither tested by RITM which Huang turned over the ship- runway, killing all people on diverted to Clark International invest City Foundation. the 102,000 Covid-19 test- found) to be at par with World did not receive any kit sample ment to Locsin during a brief board. Airport after the runway was Those donations were cleared ing kits given by China to the Health Organisation (WHO)- for laboratory validation nor ceremony held at the NAIA The fatalities were identifi ed closed to all fl ight operations. for release by the Bureau of Philippines have “no accuracy provided kits,” according to the donated by the Chinese govern- warehouse. as Captain Ren Edward Nevada, Apolonio said before the Customs on the same day for problems.” statement. ment,” the embassy said. Besides the test kits, China Captain Melvin Bruel de Castro, crash, RP-C5880 was one of the immediate turnover to the De- The embassy sought the DoH The embassy also said that In a text message to Chinese also donated to the Philippines Captain Mario Medina (report- chartered jets of the Department partment of Health (DoH) for clarifi cation after reports that according to the DoH, “Those Ambassador to Manila Huang 100,000 surgical masks, 10,000 edly a former Philippine Airlines of Health which ferried essen- distribution to frontline hospi- questioned the effi cacy of the test kits are of high quality and Xilian, Health Secretary Fran- N95 masks and 10,000 sets of pilot), Jael Edmark Agravante tial medical supplies across the tals. test kits from China. standards and have no accuracy cisco Duque said, “Hi! There personal protective equipment. (fl ight crew), Dr Cenover Nica- Philippines. Gulf Times 18 Tuesday, March 31, 2020 COMMENT

CHAIRMAN Abdullah bin Khalifa al-Attiyah EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Faisal Abdulhameed al-Mudahka Deputy Managing Editor K T Chacko P.O.Box 2888, Doha, Qatar [email protected] 44350478 (News), 44466404 (Sport), 44466636 (Home delivery) 44350474 facebook.com/gulftimes twitter.com/gulftimes_Qatar GULF TIMES ‘Ghost games’ could help German clubs survive No one in the football community was happy with games behind closed doors before the coronavirus brought play to a standstill for good. But now such games could help clubs survive, once play is possible again. Former German Football League (DFL) managing director Andreas Rettich has even suggested such “ghost games,” as they are called in the country, “could contribute to the diversion and thus to the well-being of A pandemic is no time for people.” The 36 Bundesliga and second division clubs of the DFL come together today for an emergency assembly to discuss the options, with play now suspended for a fortnight, at least until April 30, and possibly beyond. US economic sanctions No one knows whether the season can be completed at all amid the pandemic and strict government lockdown rules — with nine Bundesliga rounds still to be played, By Jeff rey D Sachs and Francisco and fail to contain suffi cient measures demanding discounts of up to $23 per harm people in the sanctioned and the German cup at the semi-fi nal stage. Rodríguez to mitigate their impact on the most barrel, forcing the country to sell below countries. They raise the risk that And while clubs and fans were more than unhappy with New York vulnerable sectors of the population,” its production cost and erasing its only these countries will become regional with “far-reaching implications on major source of revenue. Covid-19 epicentres, making any some games behind closed doors before the shutdown, the rights to health and to food in The US authorities disingenuously efforts by neighbouring countries the mood is changing, mainly for fi nancial reasons. ver the past several years, US particular.” argue that the sanctions carve out to stem the tide self-defeating. Failing to complete the league season would cost clubs President Donald Trump’s Sanctions have had a dramatic exceptions for transactions related to Containment efforts must be global, humanitarian goods. Those who deal and at-risk countries must be able to some 750mn euros and put the existence of several of administration has unilater- eff ect on Iran’s economy as well. Oil Oally imposed harsh economic production plummeted by 1.8mn barrels with Iran know that this is false. It’s count on all necessary international them in severe danger. Being able to play on at some stage sanctions on several countries whose per day, to almost half the pre-sanctions like telling someone who has just lost assistance. Sanctions by the would cushion the impact considerably. governments it seeks to punish. These level, after the Trump administration their job and income that they can still government of the world’s largest measures are inhumane, violate inter- withdrew from the 2015 nuclear deal. go to a store and buy whatever they economy make this impossible. “If that’s the only way to save national law, and cause pain and suff er- Last October, Human Rights Watch want. Moreover, economic sanctions The US should immediately suspend Bundesliga clubs, you have to accept it ing among the people that the United reported that US economic sanctions not only reduce the targeted country’s all economic sanctions on countries gratefully,” RB Leipzig midfi elder States claims it wants to help. With the were “causing unnecessary suff ering capacity to pay for essential inputs; that are struggling to deal with the to discuss Kevin Kampl said yesterday. whole world now facing the Covid-19 to Iranian citizens,” and that the they also dramatically increase the disease. The Treasury Department pandemic, US sanctions have also consequences for patients with rare regulatory and reputational risk of should also issue guidelines that options “Sure it’s not nice for the become a direct threat to the survival diseases could be “catastrophic.” doing any business whatsoever with indicate that any dealings with fans, but I think that they will of people inside those countries – and Economic sanctions are premised that government. Almost all private- personally sanctioned government today understand and will endure having everyone else. They should be immedi- on the idea that increasing ordinary sector firms thus decide not to take officials are admissible when ately lifted. people’s daily hardship will place the gamble – or to charge high fees for restricted to their official functions. to watch a few games from home.” It is no coincidence that Iran and growing pressure on their government. doing so. The US should also stop blocking Leipzig sports director Markus Kroesche said last week Venezuela, two countries targeted As US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo Furthermore, it is nearly impossible efforts by affected countries to obtain such matches “cannot be prevented” because all major by the US, are both being hit hard by put it in February 2019, owing to the to achieve compliance with the multilateral financing to deal with the the pandemic. Iran accounts for just resumption of sanctions, “things are quarantines and social-distancing emergency. European leagues aim to complete their seasons and it 1.1% of the world’s population but an much worse for the Iranian people, measures recommended by public US economic sanctions have caused was “secondary in this context” whether fans were at the astounding 11.2% of Covid-19 deaths, and we are convinced that will lead the health experts to stem the Covid-19 millions of people to suff er, and soon game or not. while Venezuela appears to be on the Iranian people to rise up and change the unless governments can compensate they could kill tens of thousands, if VfB Stuttgart president Claus Vogt said that not being verge of a massive outbreak, judging behaviour of the regime.” workers who stay at home. Countries not far more. Exacerbating civilians’ from the rapid spread of the disease Rather than suspending economic whose public fi nances are battered suff ering to try to change their able to complete the season would create “existential since the fi rst diagnosis in that country sanctions during the pandemic, the by sanctions have little ability to government’s conduct is ethically problems” for his club and others. 12 days ago. Trump administration has actually fund these subsidies. For this reason, wrong and prohibited by international Players and offi cials have already agreed to wage freezes American sanctions have weakened tightened them, making it even harder both Iran and Venezuela have asked law. Pursuing this strategy during the both countries’ health infrastructure for aff ected countries to access foreign the International Monetary Fund for worst health crisis the world has faced or cuts, and the four German Champions League teams by curtailing access to foreign exchange exchange and exacerbating the eff ect emergency disbursements to help in modern times demonstrates reckless Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, Leipzig and Bayer and the capacity to import key medical of the global collapse in oil prices. deal with the pandemic. The IMF disregard for human life and contempt Leverkusen have created a solidarity fund of 20mn euros inputs. In Venezuela, studies show Yesterday Iran’s death toll reached 2,757. has so far responded to Venezuela’s for the norms of civilised behaviour. - that fi nancial and oil-sector sanctions And as the toll was rising, last week the request by saying that it cannot be Project Syndicate for the DFL to distribute. have cost the Venezuelan economy at US Treasury Department blacklisted considered until its members agree Clubs will suff er even if the season can be played this least $17bn a year since 2017, or more nine companies, including a social on which of the country’s duelling zJeff rey D Sachs, professor of way as for many of them ticket sales are also a big source than four times the country’s level of security investment arm, for dealing political factions is recognised as Sustainable Development and professor non-oil imports. While sanctions are far with the country’s petrochemical the legitimate government. This is a of Health Policy and Management at of income. from the only cause of the economy’s sector. On March 12, the US sanctioned direct consequence of the egregious Columbia University, is Director of According to estimates, champions Bayern Munich, collapse, they were the driving factor a Russian company for helping sell US decision last year to break with Columbia’s Center for Sustainable who have a minimum six home games left, would lose at behind the massive contraction in 2019, Venezuela’s oil abroad, while pressuring diplomatic tradition by recognising a Development and the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network. least 16.2mn euros, Borussia Dortmund up to 15mn euros, during which Venezuela lost one-third companies in India, China, and Spain government that has no control over its of its GDP. As UN Human Rights Chief to halt all purchases from Venezuela. territory and calling on others to follow zFrancisco Rodríguez is an economist and even a small club like Union Berlin or Freiburg 4 and Michelle Bachelet warned last August, As a result of sanctions, the few traders suit. and Director of the Oil for Venezuela 3.2mn euros, respectively. the sanctions “are extremely broad still willing to buy Venezuelan oil are Economic sanctions don’t just Foundation. Rettich acknowledges that football is the least the government has on its mind at the moment — despite being the employer of some 55,000 people and a turnover of some 5bn euros. But he insisted that the world’s most popular sport could still contribute with its feel-good factor for the population, even if the fans remain barred from the stadiums. “It gains in importance every day due to the current contact ban and the social isolation that comes with it,” Rettich said.

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© 2020 Gulf Times. All rights reserved A family wears protective face masks and gloves, amid fear of coronavirus disease as they walk by the iconic Freedom Square, in Tehran, Iran. Gulf Times Tuesday, March 31, 2020 19 COMMENT Vitriol and violence: A coronavirus death exposes paranoia in India

By Devjyot Ghoshal and Subrata of cases and deaths related to the always in close touch with his parents. cremating Samir’s remains around Nagchoudhury coronavirus have been small compared Ajoy Chakraborty, director of West midnight. New Delhi/Kokkata with many other large countries. Bengal’s health services, said it was still The backlash in Kolkata may not be an But experts and some offi cials are unclear how Samir contracted the virus. anomaly. concerned they could spike. “The case is under intense News reports have emerged across hen Satyaki Mitra’s father Satyaki and his wife have been investigation,” Chakraborty said. India of mobs harassing people they developed a mild fever in targeted on social media, he said, and his Samir, a lifelong employee of Indian suspect of carrying the virus, including mid-March, the graduate mother and grandmothers took shelter at Railways, did not suff er from any serious doctors and air crew. Wstudent in Philadelphia a hospital because they were too scared ailments, according to his son. Some healthcare workers in rental wasn’t especially worried. to return to their home. Less than a week after his birthday on accommodation have been forcefully He told his 57-year-old father, living in “I can’t understand how people can be March 8, Samir came down with a fever evicted by their landlords over infection the eastern Indian city of Kolkata, to get so hateful,” Satyaki told Reuters from the and cough, and visited a local doctor. fears, a doctor’s association said this week. tested for the new coronavirus. United States. Within days, he had to be hospitalised A day after India went into lockdown, The initial test came back negative, He was unable to return for his and put on a ventilator, Satyaki said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi appealed but Samir Kumar Mitra’s condition father’s last rites, as restrictions in the He was being treated for a bacterial to citizens to stop harassing essential steadily worsened. wake of the pandemic made the journey pneumonia. service workers. Last Monday, two days after testing impossible. “On the 21st, my mother called “This is not done,” Modi said in a positive for the virus, Samir died, On March 20, India’s federal A municipal worker disinfects a pavement in a market area during a 21-day and informed me he had Covid. The speech. “We should help those who are plunging his family into grief and government issued an advisory to social nationwide lockdown to limit the spreading of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19), tests had come back positive,” he said, serving us.” triggering a public backlash that has left media companies to clamp down on in Kolkata, India, March 30, 2020. referring to Covid-19, the disease Even as his father lay on his death bed his 27-year-old son stunned. the circulation of false information and associated with the coronavirus. “I was on Monday, rumours were circulating on On a Kolkata street, crowds battled unverifi ed data on the outbreak, and Karnataka posted lists of quarantined and others who came into direct contact absolutely shattered.” social media, Satyaki said. with police for hours to stop Samir’s deployed its own offi cials to debunk fake people across several districts online, with them, but experts have warned the Following Samir’s death on March In a WhatsApp forward received by cremation, fearing it would spread the news. which were shared on local WhatsApp spread may be wider. 23, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata several Kolkata residents, a message coronavirus and endanger lives. Two independent Indian fact- groups. According to one projection, more Banerjee instructed offi cials to ensure posted below a picture of Samir, his wife, On Facebook, users left abusive checkers told Reuters they had seen a The lists, complete with addresses, than 100,000 Indians could be infected Samir was safely and quickly cremated. son and daughter-in-law, read: “The son messages on Samir’s account, accusing sharp increase in misinformation and have been used to create at least one with the disease by mid-May, putting “The virus should not escape,” she and Italian daughter-in-law had come him of meeting with Satyaki and his fake news on the coronavirus across website where users can put in their zip India’s creaky health system under said, in a video uploaded by a local to India recently. What a gift they got for American wife and bringing the deadly platforms since the outbreak was fi rst code to check if anyone is quarantined severe strain. Bengali news channel. By the time the father!” virus to Kolkata, a sprawling city of detected in India. nearby. While Facebook and WhatsApp paperwork was completed and the body The only child of middle-class Indian 4.5mn people. Rajneil Kamath, publisher of In response to questions from Reuters, messages alleged that Samir had was taken to a riverside crematorium parents, Satyaki said he hadn’t been back The case underscores how vitriol and Newschecker, said the increase mirrored WhatsApp and Facebook said they were travelled to Europe’s coronavirus on Monday night, local residents had home since July last year. disinformation can fan paranoia and misinformation typically seen during working to connect people directly with epicentre Italy, or members of his family surrounded the hearse, said two police “I was going to lose my father and even violence in a country already reeling major political events, including a fl ood public health offi cials. had visited from there, Satyaki and offi cers, who asked not to be named. on top of that people were just trying from the worst communal riots in years of queries in regional Indian languages. As of Saturday evening, India had 909 a colleague of his father’s denied the A crowd of around a hundred people to vilify me and my wife,” Satyaki said, between Muslims and Hindus — partly “Everybody is just forwarding things confi rmed cases of the coronavirus. deceased had gone abroad. demanded the body be taken elsewhere, adding he felt helpless knowing there whipped up by fake news. and asking: is this true?” he said. Samir was the fi rst confi rmed In separate interviews, both said Samir fearing Samir’s cremation would was no way he could go back home. That risks complicating the People are also using online platforms coronavirus patient to die in the state of had travelled to central India to attend a contaminate the area, one of the offi cers On Samir’s Facebook profi le, a government’s eff orts to manage the to identify those who have recently West Bengal, and one of 19 killed by the wedding in early March, and returned to said. message posted below a photo of him unfolding crisis in the nation of 1.3bn returned from locations considered disease so far in India. Kolkata by train before falling ill. “The mob grew in numbers and and his family said: “It’s because of people. high-risk or who may have come into Indian health authorities have said “He didn’t come into contact with turned aggressive,” the offi cer said. people like him that the coronavirus has The entire population is under a contact with people with the disease. the virus remains largely restricted to anyone that I know who had travelled Police called in reinforcements come to us. They should be shot dead.” 21-day lockdown and so far the number Authorities in the southern state of those who travelled to aff ected areas abroad,” Satyaki said, adding he was and baton-charged the crowd, before — Reuters Nature takes back world’s empty city streets

Three-day forecast

TODAY AFP Maximum Temperature : 290c Paris Minimum Temperature : 210c

WEDNESDAY s humans retreat into their Maximum Temperature : 310c homes as more and more Minimum Temperature : 220c countries go under coronavi- THURSDAY rus lockdown, wild animals Maximum Temperature : 300c A Minimum Temperature : 220c are slipping cover to explore the empty streets of some of our biggest cities. Fisherman's forecast Wild boar have descended from the hills around Barcelona while sika WARNING deer are nosing their way around the Inshore : Nil deserted metro stations of Nara, Japan. Offshore : Expected strong wind Indian social media has gone wild and high sea at north about footage of a stag scampering WEATHER through Dehradun, the capital of the Inshore : Moderate temperature northern state of Uttarakhand. daytime with some clouds and slight dust Gangs of wild turkeys have been at times strutting the streets of Oakland, California, while a puma turned up WIND Inshore : Northwesterly 05-15 KT in the centre of the Chilean capital Offshore : Northwesterly 10-20/25 Santiago, which is under curfew. KT “This is the habitat they once had and that we’ve taken away from them,” Visibility : 4-8 KM Offshore : 3-6/8 FT said Marcelo Giagnoni, the head of Chile’s agricultural and livestock service that helped police capture the curious big cat. Seaweed can be seen in clear waters in one of Venice’s canals. While sightings of dolphins in Around the region Venice’s canals turned out to be Mediterranean gulls who nest along Weather Weather fanciful, they have been popping up in the sandy banks of rivers are being left today Max/min tomorrow Max/min ports elsewhere in the Mediterranean undisturbed. M Cloudy 27/18 Cloudy 31/15 as emboldened wildlife takes “free rein In the Calanques National Park Baghdad Kuwait City Sunny 28/18 Cloudy 29/19 to wander our cities and towns”, said overlooking the Mediterranean near Sunny 27/20 P Cloudy 29/22 Romain Julliard, head of research at France’s second city of Marseille, Manama Muscat Sunny 28/22 Sunny 28/22 the French Natural History Museum. wildlife “is reclaiming its natural Sunny 16/07 S Showers 18/10 He told AFP that foxes were at the habitat with surprising speed”, said the Tehran vanguard of the new urban explorers. park’s president, Didier Reault. “They change their behaviour very With walkers and boating banned, quickly. When a place becomes quiet, “the puffi ns who used to stay on the they’re straight in there.” islets in the highest protected areas are Animals and birds that normally not gathering on the sea,” he said. live in urban parks, like sparrows and And it is the same for plants. pigeons are also more likely to venture Wild orchids – which are supposed beyond their usual territories, Julliard to be protected – are often picked by said, “freeing a space for other animals”. walkers when they blossom in late While the dawn and dusk choruses April and May, said Rieff el. have been bringing comfort to This year they will be spared that many quarantined city dwellers, the fate. museum’s acoustics specialist Jerome And in the cities and suburbs, Sueur said that doesn’t mean there are unmowed lawns will be a source of more urban birds than before. “bounty for bees, bumble bees and Around the world It is more that with reduced traffi c butterfl ies”, Julliard added. Weather Weather noise we can hear them better. But for him, the biggest change is today Max/min tomorrow Max/min Some, however, “stop singing when the eff ect this is having on humans. Athens P Cloudy 20/08 S Showers 18/08 there is noise, so now they are letting “The most important phenomenon Beirut P Cloudy 24/15 Rain 18/14 themselves go.” perhaps is our relationship with nature Bangkok Sunny 37/28 Sunny 37/28 “Animals are shaking off human changing – with people locked up in Berlin P Cloudy 07/-1 M Cloudy 10/03 noise pollution,” Sueur said. their homes realising how much they Cairo Cloudy 31/15 M Sunny 25/14 And the timing could not have been miss nature,” he said. Cape Town Cloudy 20/14 Sunny 24/13 better time as they embark on their Stuck indoors, with their worlds Colombo M Sunny 31/26 M Sunny 31/26 mating season. reduced to a few square metres, Dhaka Sunny 37/22 Sunny 38/24 With the hunting season suspended confi ned urbanites have suddenly Hong Kong S Showers 23/18 Cloudy 22/19 in several European countries, this become avid birdwatchers. Istanbul M Sunny 14/07 Cloudy 10/07 promises to be a spring and possibly British ornithologist David Lindo, Jakarta T Storm 31/24 T Storm 31/24 a summer of love for the animal who is known as the “Urban Birder”, Karachi Sunny 29/22 Sunny 31/21 kingdom. has been tweeting and livestreaming London P Cloudy 11/01 M Cloudy 11/04 It is certainly great news for species birds he spots from the roof of the A bumble bee flies over flowers on the meadow in front of the Reichstag building Manila Sunny 36/26 M Sunny 35/27 like the common toad and the spotted building in Spain where he has been housing the Bundestag (lower house of parliament) as the sun shines in Berlin on Moscow Snow -1/-8 M Cloudy 04/-1 salamander. quarantined. March 27. New Delhi M Cloudy 32/18 Sunny 32/18 The amorous amphibians are being “The sky is a great arena, anything New York Cloudy 09/04 P Cloudy 13/04 spared from being “crushed crossing can fl y past and, at the very least, it been all but halted, cautioned Loic parks), which won’t be good for the Paris P Cloudy 12/01 Sunny 13/02 busy roads” in their haste to fi nd a will give you peace. My message is Obled of the OFB, as well as that to fl ora and fauna.” Sao Paulo P Cloudy 28/18 P Cloudy 28/19 mate, said Jean-Noel Rieff el, of the simple: keep looking up,” he told his help endangered species. The birds which have nested in the yard Seoul M Cloudy 18/06 P Cloudy 18/02 French biodiversity offi ce (OFB). new-found followers. And when the lockdown fi nally of an abandoned school or factory will fi nd Singapore I T Storm 33/26 P Cloudy 33/27 With few dog walkers to disturb However, there are also down sides ends, Rieff el warned that “people will themselves disturbed, he warned. Sydney M Sunny 23/18 P Cloudy 23/18 them, baby fawns are also getting to the lockdown for nature. have a need of nature and there is a Nature’s respite from man may be Tokyo Cloudy 17/08 Cloudy 16/10 an idyllic start to life while birds like Work to limit invasive species has risk of too many visitors (to natural rather short-lived. Gulf Times 20 Tuesday, March 31, 2020 QATAR GU-Q professor’s new book explores infl uential classical Muslim scholar For Siddiqui, n her new book, Law and tual thought together, including not found. In the absence of the thought, Islamic theology, to see Politics under the Abbasids: theology, political thought, and Calipha, al-Juwayni reimagines how ideas within these fi elds are inspiration for IAn Intellectual Portrait of law. what role the Shariah plays in interrelated. al-Juwayni, Sohaira Siddiqui, For Siddiqui, inspiration for communities. She notes that classical Mus- studying associate professor at Qatar studying al-Juwayni arose out On the basis of al-Juwayni’s lim scholars, much like al-Ju- al-Juwayni Foundation partner university of a more fundamental curiosity arguments, Siddiqui reconcep- wayni, wrote in multiple dis- Georgetown University in Qatar, about the place of Islamic law tualises how to think about the ciplines, therefore their works arose out illuminates the thought of the in the practice and imagination Shari’a and notes that, “his (al- should be addressed in a multi- 11th century scholar, Abu Ma’ali of Muslims today. What drew Juwayni’s) conversation about disciplinary manner. of a more al-Juwayni, whose work has not her to al-Juwayni was his politi- the death of Shariah lets us think “I want scholars to start fundamental suffi ciently been explored in cal treatise, ‘Ghiyath al-Umam’, in a new way about the life of the thinking about how epistemol- Western academia. in which he conceptualises the sharia today.” ogy, law, and political thought curiosity about In her book, Prof Siddiqui absence of the Calipha and the Beyond the specifi c argu- are intertwined,” she explained. the place of navigates several of al-Juwayni’s continuity of society. His re- ments of the book, Siddiqui “I hope that from reading texts to locate the key theologi- fl ections on the absence of the seeks to make contributions to this book scholars start to think Islamic law in cal, legal and practical questions Calipha comes at the end of a the discipline of Islamic Studies about ways in which they can that animated his thought. By longer engagement with po- more broadly. move beyond the text and time the practice and engaging with multiple works, litical contingencies in which he She argues that scholars with- period in which they work to imagination of she presents a cross-disciplinary discusses both the ideal politi- in Islamic Studies should move really think horizontally about analysis that weaves numerous cal ruler, and what communities beyond their disciplinary silos how these issues are emerging Muslims today disciplines in Islamic intellec- should do when an ideal leader is in Islamic law, Islamic political and how they are constructed.” Sohaira Siddiqui Ashghal implements preventative measures to combat virus spread s part of its continuing ef- forts to combat the novel Acoronavirus (Covid-19) spread, the Public Works Au- thority (Ashghal) has started im- plementing an emergency plan with contractors and consultants to protect workers, employees and residents of the areas within the projects. As part of the plan, Ashghal’s Road Projects department is im- plementing preventive measures to contain the spread of the virus Ashghal Road Projects manager and reduce and control infec- engineer Saoud al-Tamimi. tion, an offi cial statement said. Road Projects manager engi- with up to 100 individuals cit- neer Saoud al-Tamimi said that ing this helps in early detection the procedures, applied in his of symptoms. Besides, isolation department, include a medi- units are provided inside the fa- cal examination for all project cilities and steps taken in order workers for early detection of to ensure that isolated persons any symptoms of Covid-19 and do not come into contact with the application of a policy to workers or other residents until prevent visits to offi ces, sites and they are transferred to the Com- residential facilities. municable Disease Center. Body temperature check at worker accommodations. “Moreover, Ashghal contrac- The Road Projects Depart- tors, in accordance with the Au- ment is carrying out a number of thority’s instructions, take nec- awareness measures to familiar- essary measures to monitor and ise workers and employees about follow up workers and employees Covid-19, its symptoms and ef- for any disease symptoms. Steps fects while providing a list of are also taken to measure the necessary and prohibited prac- temperature of each individual, tices to prevent its spread. follow up any other symptoms of Posters in several languages infection and immediately refer are also distributed. In addition them to the direct supervisors to educating workers about the and health and safety offi cials need to take care of the cleanli- seeking necessary measures. Any ness of hands, they are also made labourer or employee is not al- aware of keeping the respiratory Workers at an Ashghal project site. lowed to the site if he shows any system healthy. symptom,” he said. The workers are also educated project sites. The number of er individually or in groups. They Ashghal has also instructed its about the etiquette to be fol- workers who use buses has been also have been told to cancel pe- contractors to assign a unifi ed lowed when an urge to sneeze or reduced by half while buses are riodic visits to homes in order contact number at the labour- cough is felt. Ashghal has also sanitised regularly. to ensure the safety of residents ers’ residence to help them re- sent voice instructions through Suffi cient distance between in Qatar. “These visits will be port internally about any disease WhatsApp to all medical per- the workers inside the bus, in replaced by phone calls and e- and take the necessary action to sonnel in the projects to intro- dining halls and work sites is also mail,” he said. familiarise all workers and em- duce the required and prohibited ensured. The department is also im- ployees with this number. Con- practices to deal with Covid-19 Disinfection crew at work at a project off ice. In addition, Ashghal regularly plementing the precautionary tractors have been also asked to and the necessity for the medi- checks the availability of gloves, procedures through random in- report any suspected cases to cal staff to educate those on the places and health and care areas sterilisation and cleaning of all in addition to periodic cleaning masks, and sanitising supplies at spection and audit of workers’ the Ministry of Public Health sites. along with dining halls at work- areas including housing, dining of all surfaces that are frequently work sites and offi ces. housing in addition to making (MoPH). The Road Projects Department sites. These places have hand spaces and site offi ces in addi- touched in work sites and ac- Al-Tamimi explained that fi eld visits to project sites and Al-Tamimi added that Ash- has also worked with its contrac- washing facilities with all the tion to workers’ leisure facili- commodation facilities. he has directed the local road following up the progress of ghal has directed contractors to tors to provide all the necessary cleaning and sanitising supplies. ties at work sites. These include Ashghal has taken several project contractors to cancel all implementing emergency plans divide workers in all housing and tools to maintain personal hy- The department has also in- dining hall, toilets, buses, and measures to stop Covid-19 activities that include direct in- through dedicated crisis man- residence facilities into groups giene in workers’ housing, work- structed contractors to maintain transportation vehicles. This is spreading among workers on teraction with the public wheth- agement teams.

Food inspection drive

Ministry of Municipality and Environment (MME) volunteers carrying out inspections of the food outlets and facilities across all the municipalities of the country. Inspection and awareness campaigns are being carried out as part of the MME’s precautionary measures to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus (Covid-19).