PRESIDENT PARDONS SOLDIER WHO THESE ARE TESTING SLAUGHTERED TAMIL CIVILIANS TIMES FOR SRI LANKA MARCH 27 - 29, 2020 VOL: 4- ISSUE 188 30. DEAD IN THEIR BEDS THE GREAT EMPTY GLOCAL PAGE 03 REALITY CHECK PAGE 05 COMMENTARY PAGE 07 A THOUSAND WORDS PAGE 08

Registered in the Department of Posts of Sri Lanka under No: QD/144/News/2020 COVID-19 and curfew in Sri Lanka -Four new cases of the novel coronavirus were diagnosed yesterday (26) taking the total number of confirmed cases to 106. No cases were detected on Wednesday (25). - Police curfew imposed in the districts of Colombo, Kalu- tara, and Gampaha, identified as High-Risk Zones for the spread of COVID -19, will continue to be in force until further notice. -Police curfew imposed in the Jaffna District will not be lifted at 6:00 a.m. today (27) as was previously scheduled, but will continue until further notice. Curfew in the districts of Puttalam, Vavuniya, Mannar, Kilinochchi, Mullativu will be lifted at 6:00 a.m. today and re-imposed at 2.00 p.m. the same day and continue until 6.00 a.m. Monday (30). -In other areas, the curfew re-imposed at 2.00 p.m. will continue till 6:00 a.m. Monday. - Leave for all ranks of police have been cancelled until April 10, due to the prevailing situation in the country with the COVID-19 outbreak. -March 30 to April 3 is declared a ‘Work from Home’ period applicable all State, semi-government and private sector enti- ties except those which are categorized as essential services. - The Central Bank (CB), Commercial Banks, Insurance ser- vices and Treasury are included in the list of essential services with the Central bank instructed to ensure they operate dur- ing curfew hours. - The Postmaster General instructs post offices and sub post offices to remain open for at least two hours a day during non- curfew hours.

Coronavirus toll 21,873 deaths at 1100 GMT yesterday - Muhammad HAJ KADOUR / AFP PARIS -The number of deaths around the world from the A member of the Syrian civil defence, known as the population of three million, already buckling under string of attacks also displaced nearly one million novel coronavirus stood at 21,873, according to a tally com- White Helmets, disinfects a former school building extreme shortages of medicine, is considered to people, cramming the growing influx of families piled by AFP at 1100 GMT yesterday (26) from official sources. currently inhabited by displaced families in the be one of the world's most defenceless against the into sprawling camps with no infrastructure and More than 481,300 declared cases have been registered in rebel-held town of Binnish in Syria's north-western virus. Medical facilities in Idlib have been decimated increasingly unsanitary conditions. Medics are 182 countries and territories since the epidemic first emerged Idlib province, yesterday (26), as part of the in targeted airstrikes over the years. Doctors are raising awareness about hygiene requirements, in China in December. Of these cases, at least 107,100 are now efforts to prevent the spread of the coronavirus already overstretched and hospital beds are in but it's a hard sell for a population reeling from the considered recovered. epidemic. The World Health Organization has short supply. A brutal Syrian government offensive effects of war. Idlib has only 1.4 doctors per 10,000 The tallies, using data collected by AFP offices from na- warned that COVID-19 is heading toward the war- -- propped up by Russia and Iran -- that was people, according to the IHD and hospitals are tional authorities and information from the World Health Or- ravaged province like a slow moving tsunami, launched in December has added more pressure already running at over-capacity, with an average ganization (WHO), likely reflect only a fraction of the actual and could claim tens of thousands of lives. Idlib's on the flailing healthcare facilities. The latest 150 occupancy rate. number of infections. Many countries are now only testing cases that require hos- Study shows pitalization. Italy, which recorded its first coronavirus death in Febru- ary, has to date declared 7,503 fatalities, with 74,386 infec- tions and 9,362 people recovered. Like Italy, Spain also has more fatalities than China with 4,089, as well as having 56,188 infections. US virus deaths may top 80,000 China -- excluding Hong Kong and Macau -- has to date de- clared 3,287 deaths and 81,285 cases, with 74,051 recoveries. The country declared 67 new cases and six new fatalities since Wednesday (25). The other worst-hit countries are Iran with 2,234 fatalities despite confinement and 29,406 cases, and France with 1,331 deaths and 25,233 cases. PARIS - COVID-19 could lead to level. week of April. the worse -- if people ease up on so- Since 1900 GMT Wednesday, the West Bank and Croatia more than 80,000 deaths in the These include hospitalization and During the epidemic peak -- also cial distancing or relax with other announced their first deaths. US and overwhelm hospital capac- mortality rates, as well as patient set for some point in April -- as many precautions." By continent, Europe has listed 258,068 cases and 14,640 ity nationally as soon as early April date in terms of age, gender and pre- as 2,300 patients could die every The analysis estimated that ap- deaths to date, Asia 101,004 cases and 3,642 deaths and the even if social distancing measures existing health problems. day, according to the IHME models. proximately 81,000 people in the Middle East 35,324 cases and 2,281 deaths. are respected, new research showed Specifically, they looked at the This was the case even if the popu- US will die from the virus over the The US and Canada together have declared 72,606 cases yesterday (26). time lag between the first fatal cas- lation adhered to strict social dis- coming four months. with 1,082 deaths, Latin America and the Caribbean 8,439 The US death toll for the pandem- es and public interventions such as tancing measures. Estimates ranged between 38,000 cases with 141 deaths, Africa 2,748 cases with 73 deaths and ic has already soared past 1,000, shuttering schools and businesses. "Our estimated trajectory of COV- and more than 160,000. Oceania 3,111 cases with 14 deaths. with 68,000 confirmed infections. They then looked at each Ameri- ID-19 deaths assumes continued and It forecast that a total of 21 US -AFP Forecasters at the Institute for can state's ICU bed and ventilator uninterrupted vigilance by the gen- states will need more ICU beds than Health Metrics and Evaluation capacity. eral public, hospital workers, and are currently available and that 12 (IHME) at the University of Wash- The analysis warned that based government agencies," said Christo- states may need to increase their ington's School of Medicine ana- on current trends, demand for both pher Murray, IHME director. capacity by 50% or more to accom- US indicts Maduro of drug trafficking lyzed the latest COVID-19 data at would far exceed capacity for COV- "The trajectory of the pandemic modate patient needs. a local, national and international ID-19 patients as early as the second will change -- and dramatically for -AFP WASHINGTON — President Nicolás Maduro of Vene- zuela was charged in the United States yesterday (26) with federal drug trafficking crimes after an investigation by federal authorities in Washington, New York and Florida. The indictment of a head of state was highly unusual and served as an escalation of the Trump administration’s cam- US unemployment figures surge to record 3.3 million paign to pressure Maduro to leave office after his widely WASHINGTON - More than three faster than government statistics “A large part of the economy just the economic cataclysm in progress. disputed re-election in 2018. Maduro has led Venezuela’s million people filed for unemploy- can keep track. collapsed,” said Ben Herzon, execu- Even comparatively optimistic fore- economy into shambles and prompted an exodus of mil- ment benefits last week, sending Just three weeks ago, barely tive director of IHS Markit, a busi- casters expect millions of lost jobs, lions of people into neighbouring countries. a collective shudder throughout 200,000 people applied for jobless ness data and analytics firm. and with them foreclosures, evic- Attorney General William Barr announced the charges the economy unlike anything that benefits, a historically low number. The worst could be yet to come. tions and bankruptcies. Thousands along with the head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Americans have experienced. In the half-century that the govern- Herzon said he expected a similarly of businesses have closed in re- Division and the top federal prosecutors in New York and The report, released by the La- ment has tracked applications, the large number next Thursday (April sponse to the pandemic, and many Miami. bour Department yesterday (26), worst week ever, with 695,000 so- 2), when the Labour Department will never reopen. Some economists In addition to Maduro, charges were announced against provides some of the first hard data called initial claims, had been in Oc- releases its report on new claims say the decline in gross domestic nearly a dozen others, including the Venezuelan govern- on the economic toll of the coro- tober 1982. filed this week. product this year could rival the ment and intelligence officials and members of the largest navirus pandemic, which has shut Yesterday’s figure of nearly 3.3 Yesterday’s unemployment num- worst years of the Great Depression. rebel group in Colombia, the Revolutionary Armed Forces, down whole swaths of American life million set a grim record. bers provide only the first hint of known as FARC, which has long drawn its financing from -NYT the cocaine trade. Few details of the charges were available early yesterday, but they included narco-terrorism conspiracy and conspir- Trending News acy to import cocaine into the United States. -NYT G20: Member nations pledge take stakes in major airlines pandemic, telling G20 lead- a "united front" in the fight in exchange for aid included in ers it was a matter "of life and Quote for Today against coronavirus, saying a $2 trillion coronavirus eco- death." To slow coronavirus spread they were injecting $5 tril- nomic rescue package. Switzerland: The country Anyone who has never made a mistake has never lion into the global economy United Nations: China and joins the small group of nations tried anything new. -Albert Einstein to counter the pandemic amid Iran lead a group of countries to declare more than 10,000 Word for Today Afghanistan to release up forecasts of a deep recession. in a joint push for the world officially-recorded cases of Israel: Ex-military chief Benny body to pressure Washington COVID-19. Cinderella [ sinduhreluhl ] – noun- a person or Gantz calls for an emergency to lift sanctions, which they Iraq: Two rockets slam into thing that achieves unexpected or sudden success or to 10,000 prisoners unity government after being charged are hindering the Baghdad’s high-security Green recognition, especially after obscurity, neglect, or KABUL - Afghanistan has ordered the release of up to elected Parliament speaker. global fight against COVID-19. Zone, hours before US-led misery. 10,000 prisoners -- mostly women, juveniles and sick peo- UK: Hospital bosses and doc- South Africa: The govern- forces were set to pull out of a ple -- in a bid to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus, tors warn of being swamped ment says novel coronavirus second base in the country. Today in History officials said yesterday (26). with a "tsunami" of COVID-19 cases rose sharply to 927 on the India: New Delhi announces 1977 - 583 die in aviation's worst ever disaster when The move comes after an increase in local COVID-19 patients in London, as the eve of a three-week lockdown. a $22.6bn economic stimulus two Boeing 747s collide at Tenerife airport in Spain. cases and as tens of thousands of Afghans return from country braced for a peak in China: Huawei drives into its plan that provides direct cash neighbouring Iran, one of the countries hit hardest by the cases and the government post-Google era with a flagship transfers and ensures food se- Today is... pandemic. faced calls to urgently pro- smartphone that uses none of curity measures, offering re- World Theatre Day President Ashraf Ghani's decree was directed at women, vide specialist kit and tests for the Android maker's apps. lief to millions of poor people young offenders, critically ill patients and inmates aged frontline health workers. Russia: President Vladimir hit by a nationwide lockdown A day to revisit and appreciate one of the most popu- over 55, said Attorney General Farid Hamidi. USA: Wall Street Journal re- Putin calls for sanctions re- to withstand the coronavirus lar forms of entertainment that has been in existence -AFP ports of government plans to lief during the coronavirus pandemic. since the Greeks. 2 MARCH 27 - 29, 2020 WEEKEND EXPRESS BUSINESS

By Peter S. Goodman By Véronique Dupont Europe’s leaders WB, IMF asks creditors to give Massive risks to ditch austerity Coronavirus relief to Sri Lanka, 75 others world economy as And fight pandemic with cash COLOMBO– Washington-based World the International Monetary IMF call on all capita income is also eligible by being a tiny Bank (WB) has together with the Interna- official bilateral creditors to suspend debt country. virus battle rages LONDON — A British prime minister from the tional Monetary Fund (IMF), on Wednes- payments from IDA countries that request The two organizations invited the G20 party of Margaret Thatcher has effectively privat- LONDON - The coronavirus outbreak day (25) asked creditor countries to sus- forbearance,” the statement said, adding leaders to task the WBG and the IMF to and resulting lockdown of billions of ized the national railway system, while forsaking pend debt repayments of poor countries that it would help with IDA countries’ im- make these assessments, including identi- budget austerity in favour of aggressive public that were classed as eligible to receive loans mediate liquidity needs to tackle challenges fying the countries with unsustainable debt people threatens the global economy to spending. Germany has set aside its traditional from its concessionary window as a Coro- posed by the coronavirus outbreak and al- situations, and to prepare a proposal for the point where economists are predict- detestation for debt to unleash emergency spend- navirus outbreak hits the world. low time for an assessment of the crisis im- comprehensive action by official bilateral ing the most violent recession in recent ing, while enabling the rest of the European Union In a joint statement to the G20 concern- pact and financing needs for each country. creditors to address both the financing and history, perhaps even eclipsing the to breach limits on deficits. The European Central ing debt relief for the poorest countries, There are at present 76 IDA countries. debt relief needs of IDA countries. “We will Great Depression. Bank has transcended a legacy often marked by the two organizations said the coronavirus Sri Lanka, Vietnam and Bolivia graduat- seek endorsement for the proposal at the The crash will almost certainly be calamitous inaction in the face of crisis to produce outbreak is likely to have severe economic ed from IDA at the end of the 2017 financial Development Committee during the Spring accompanied by a surge in unemploy- something that has frequently seemed impossible: and social consequences for countries that year, but will receive transitional support Meetings (April 16/17),” the statement said. ment, especially in countries with a decisive and timely response. have qualified for International Develop- on an exceptional basis through the IDA18 It also added that the World Bank Group weaker worker rights, such as the The coronavirus pandemic sweeping the globe ment Assistance (IDA), home to a quarter period (Financial years 2018-20) according and the IMF believe it is imperative at this United States. with lethal and wealth-destroying consequences of the world’s population and two-thirds to the World Bank. moment to provide a global sense of relief has proved so jarring to the powers-that-be on Ahead of Thursday's emergency of the world’s population living in extreme Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Mal- for developing countries as well as a strong virtual G20 meeting, here are the key the European side of the Atlantic that they have poverty. dives, Nepal and Pakistan are also IDA signal to financial markets. The interna- discarded deep-set taboos to forge atypically swift “With immediate effect—and consistent countries. Maldives which has the best tional community would welcome G20 sup- concerns. and pragmatic responses. with national laws of the creditor coun- monetary authority in the region and there- port for this Call to Action. Recession or depression? “This pandemic is really like a war,” said Maria tries—the World Bank Group (WBG) and fore the freest trade and the highest per -ENCL "The G20 economies will experience Demertzis, an economist and deputy director of an unprecedented shock in the first half Bruegel, a research institution in Brussels. “In a of this year and will contract in 2020 war, you do what you have to do.” as a whole, before picking up in 2021," The question is what happens when the attack economists from the rating agency phase gives way to the longer-term project of Moody's wrote on Wednesday (25). recovery — whether the extensive deployment of government largess continues, or whether Britain Angel Gurria, head of the Organisa- and Europe snap back to their mode of recent dec- tion for Economic Co-operation and ades, casting a wary eye on the ledger books. Dur- Development (OECD), told the BBC the ing the last crisis, the global financial catastrophe world economy would suffer "for years". of 2008, authorities protected corporate interests The current crisis is likely to be more above those of ordinary people, many economists severe than the 2008 financial cri- assert. Britain and the European Union bailed out sis crash because it affects the entire financial institutions, then recovered the costs by economy, with a collapse in supply hacking away at public services, effectively punish- due to the shuttering of factories and a ing labourers and taxpayers for the sins of wealthy similar crash in demand with billions of bankers. people in lockdown. Only a dozen years later, Europe and Britain The transport and tourism sectors are again dispensing enormous sums of public money to rescue large businesses from economic have been the first to feel the pain, al- devastation. Will authorities condition their aid on though some such as pharmaceuticals, requirements that companies avoid layoffs? Will health equipment, sanitary products, governments permanently banish austerity, con- food and online trade have seen a boost. cluding that excessive budget-cutting has left na- The collective GDP of the G20 coun- tional health systems especially vulnerable to the tries is predicted to contract 0.5%, ac- virus? Beyond the current moment of emergency, cording to Moody's, with the US down some argue that the crisis will be squandered if it 2.0 percent and the Eurozone losing does not prompt meaningful change in the struc- 2.2%. ture of economies after life returns to normal. China is expected to buck the trend They portray the rescues as an opportunity - Dibyangshu SARKAR / AFP and grow, but at a much-reduced rate of to transform the nature of the state’s role in the A daily labourer wearing a facemask waits near rickshaws for trucks to come for food commodities at a wholesale market during a 21- economy — for Britain to restructure its neglected 3.3%, according to Moody's. and overwhelmed health service; for the European day government-imposed nationwide lockdown as a preventive measure against the COVID-19 coronavirus in Kolkata yesterday (26). Most major banks believe the US has Union to collectivize its debts while targeting already fallen into recession, with Gold- investment at southern European countries like Sri Lanka man Sachs forecasting a contraction Greece, Italy, Spain and Portugal, which have been of 3.8% this year and Deutsche Bank neglected as the poor stepchildren of the European predicting the worst US slowdown since bloc; for governments to demand that corpora- CB issues coronavirus relief order to banks on "at least World War II." tions treat their workers fairly as a condition of In Europe, where the PMI business bailouts. activity studies for March were the “It’s not enough that all of a sudden the taboos small biz, vehicles, loans worst ever recorded, the German econo- are temporarily falling,” said Mariana Mazzucato, COLOMBO– Sri Lanka’s Central Bank 1. All such financial institutions shall im- applications for items 1 and 2 above until my minister warned of a contraction of an economist at University College London. “It’s (CB) has issued directions for commercial plement a debt moratorium (on capital and 30.04.2020 and financial institutions are "at least" 5.0% in 2020. about changing the way we do capitalism.” At banks to give a six month debt moratorium interest) as follows: required to finalise the same within 45 France's economy could shrink by least for the moment, the pandemic has delivered for lease rentals of commercial vehicles a. A six-month moratorium on the leas- days. a palpable refashioning of the principles guiding operated by self-employed, loans of small ing rentals of all three-wheelers, school 4. Financial institutions shall charge 1.4%, according to Moody's. policy. In Britain, a public health crisis twinned businesses, tourism, apparel, plantations, vans, lorries, small goods transport vehi- a maximum interest rate of 15% on local Britain could fare worse, with KPMG with a near-certain recession has dispatched to IT and related logistics providers. cles and buses operated by the self-em- credit card transactions of value up to Rs. predicting a fall of 2.6%, but that loss history the age of austerity while prompting the A three month moratorium will be given ployed; 50,000; the minimum monthly payment could double if the pandemic lasts until majority Conservative party to break sharply from for personal and leasing rentals below a b. A moratorium until 30.05.2020 on on credit cards shall be reduced by 50%; the end of the summer. dogmatic conceptions of governance that have million rupees. personal loans granted to all private sector and repayment of all credit cards below Capital Economics paints the dark- prevailed for decades. The current Prime Minister, Lenders would also provide working cap- non-executive employees; the limit of Rs. 50,000 to be extended until est picture, warning of a possible 15% Boris Johnson, has rarely been accused of har- ital at 4% and waive interest. The morato- c. A three-month moratorium for all per- 30.04.2020. contraction in the second quarter, bouring a strong belief in anything. He has taken rium will apply to both interest and capital. sonal loans and leasing rentals of value less 5. Licensed banks shall extend the valid- almost twice as bad as during the Great the pandemic as the impetus to restore to primacy The full direction is provided below: than Rs.1 million; and ity period of cheques valued less than Rs. Depression of the 1930s. a vaunted British thinker from the last century In line with the decision taken by the d. A six-month debt moratorium for af- 500,000 until 30.04.2020. — economist John Maynard Keynes, who argued Unemployment cabinet of ministers at the cabinet meeting fected industries in small & medium enter- 6. All branches of licensed banks shall be Unemployment rates are expected to that government spending was the curative when held on 20.03.2020 on the direction issued prises, tourism, apparel, plantation, IT and kept open from 8.00 a.m. to 1.00 p.m. on economic trouble breaks out. by His Excellency the President to provide related logistic service providers. non-curfew days with a minimum number soar, particularly in countries where Two weeks ago, Johnson’s government unveiled relief measures to assist businesses and in- 2. Financial institutions shall provide of employees, and the corporate branches levels have recently been at historic a budget that relied on public borrowing to finance dividuals who are adversely affected by the working capital requirements at an interest shall be kept open during curfew days to lows, such as Britain and the US. a muscular build-out of national infrastructure. prevailing Covid-19 outbreak, the Central rate of 4% and waive-off interest payments facilitate international transactions relat- These economies have relied heavily Days later, the government announced a spending Bank of Sri Lanka hereby issues this cir- for at least 6 months for sectors in item 1(d) ing to food, medicine, travel and other cus- on the boom in jobs in the "gig econo- measures worth some 330 billion pounds (about cular to the licensed commercial banks, li- above. An interest subsidy will be included tomers. my," such as taxi drivers and delivery $387 billion), including government-guaranteed censed specialised banks and leasing com- in refinance. 7. Detailed instructions on foregoing workers, which offer little or no social loans and tax breaks for companies whose busi- panies, hereinafter referred to as financial 3. Financial institutions are required to shall be issued on 27.03.2020. protection. nesses were threatened by the pandemic, plus institutions. accommodate customers to submit loan -economynext.com Even employees on long contracts can relief from mortgage payments for homeowners. be fired easily in the US, with econo- On Monday (23), Johnson’s government national- mists predicting a dramatic increase in ized the railway system for at least six months, By Guy Ryder covering all the losses at a time when people are unemployment claims of between 1.0 avoiding trains during a national lockdown. and 3.0 million when data is released Germany’s new inclination to borrow is an on Thursday, compared to 281,000 at equally striking turn. The nation is infused with COVID-19 has exposed the fragility of our economies present. a loathing of debt reaching religious proportions. The human dimensions of the COV- bourers and informal traders may be sim- to keep working, and employers to con- James Bullard, president of the St Yet Germany this week agreed to a package of ID-19 pandemic reach far beyond the ilarly pressured by the need to put food tinue their businesses through the crisis. Louis Federal Reserve, has predicted spending measures worth 750 billion euros ($813 critical health response. All aspects of our on the table. We will all suffer because of However, workers must be able to nego- unprecedented unemployment rates of billion), while borrowing 156 billion euros. future will be affected - economic, social this. It will not only increase the spread tiate these arrangements so that they re- 30%, while Europe can also expect to Germany and other northern European deficit and developmental. Our response must of the virus but in the longer-term dra- tain balance with other responsibilities, suffer. hawks also assented to the temporary lifting of "We think the unemployment rate in limits on spending in the European Union. That be urgent, coordinated and on a global matically amplify cycles of poverty and such as caring for children, the sick or the was especially significant to debt-saturated Italy, scale, and should immediately deliver inequality. elderly, and of course themselves. the eurozone will surge to about 12% by the epicentre of the pandemic in Europe. help to those most in need. We have a chance to save millions of Many countries have already intro- the end of June, giving up seven years' Italy is almost certainly in the midst of a deep From workplaces, to enterprises, to jobs and enterprises, if governments act duced unprecedented stimulus packages worth of gains in a matter of months," recession that will force increased government national and global economies, getting decisively to ensure business continuity, to protect their societies and economies said David Oxley of the London-based spending just as the country is overwhelmed by this right is predicated on social dialogue prevent layoffs and protect vulnerable and keep cash flowing to workers and Capital Economics, adding they expect- the public health crisis. Its fortunes are now so between governments and those on the workers. We should have no doubt that businesses. To maximise the effective- ed some rebound by the end of the year. dire that economists warn that its long-troubled front line – the employers and workers. the decisions they take today will deter- ness of those measures it is essential for Inflation banks could soon require rescue. So that the 2020s don’t become a re-run mine the health of our societies and econ- governments to work with employers’ or- The effect the crisis will have on Over the last decade, as Greece, Italy, Spain and of the 1930s. omies for years to come. ganizations and trade unions to come up prices is the source of great uncertainty, Portugal each required European help to avoid ILO estimates are that as many as Unprecedented, expansionary fiscal with practical solutions, which keep peo- with deflationary pressure due to a col- default, Germany took the crisis as a moment for 25 million people could become unem- and monetary policies are essential to ple safe and to protect jobs. lapse in demand on the one hand and ployed, with a loss of workers’ income of prevent the current headlong downturn These measures include income sup- moralistic lecturing about the supposedly profli- potential inflationary pressure caused gate ways of its southern neighbours (frequently as much as USD 3.4 trillion. However, it from becoming a prolonged recession. port, wage subsidies and temporary layoff omitting how much of their debts were owed is already becoming clear that these num- We must make sure that people have grants for those in more formal jobs, tax by devalued currencies and possible to German banks). Berlin conditioned relief on bers may underestimate the magnitude of enough money in their pockets to make credits for the self-employed, and finan- shortages on the other. aggressive cuts in public spending, arguing that the impact. it to the end of the week – and the next. cial support for businesses. Inflation rates are low for the mo- fiscal austerity would bring renewal. In Greece and This pandemic has mercilessly exposed This means ensuring that enterprises -- But as well as strong domestic meas- ment, and generally below central bank Spain, unemployment soared to depression like the deep fault lines in our labour mar- the source of income for millions of work- ures, decisive multi-lateral action must targets, particularly in Britain. levels. Now, in the midst of a pandemic, Germany kets. Enterprises of all sizes have already ers --can remain afloat during the sharp be a key stone of a global response to a Debt is exempting European countries from budget stopped operations, cut working hours downturn and so are positioned to restart global enemy. The G20’s virtual Extraor- Britain's current national debt of 90% strictures. and laid off staff. Many are teetering on as soon as conditions allow. In particular, dinary Summit on the Covid-19 response of GDP is high, but reached "nearly “A monumental crisis like this creates the politi- the brink of collapse as shops and restau- tailored measures will be needed for the on March 26 is an opportunity to get this 260% after the Second World War," cal space to challenge whatever the thinking was rants close, flights and hotel bookings are most vulnerable workers, including the coordinated response going. Carl Emmerson of the Institute for Fis- before,” said Christian Odendahl, chief economist cancelled, and businesses shift to remote self-employed, part-time workers and In these most difficult of times, I recall cal Studies (IFS), told AFP. at the Centre for European Reform. working. Often the first to lose their jobs those in temporary employment, who a principle set out in the ILO’s Constitu- But Germany’s stance should not be taken as But leaders "really shouldn't be wor- are those whose employment was already may not qualify for unemployment or tion: Poverty anywhere remains a threat ried" by debt and deficits for the time a sign that its people have traded an aversion to precarious -sales clerks, waiters, kitchen health insurance and who are harder to to prosperity everywhere. It reminds us debt for a newfound appreciation for Keynesian being with financing rates at historical staff, baggage handlers and cleaners. reach. that, in years to come, the effectiveness lows, Jonathan Portes, professor of stimulus. “The narrative is completely the oppo- In a world where only one-in-five peo- As governments try to flatten the up- of our response to this existential threat site,” Odendahl said. “Germans are saying, ‘Well, economics at King's College London, this is why we did austerity, so that we have the ple are eligible for unemployment ben- ward curve of infection, we need special may be judged not just by the scale and told AFP. fiscal space to do this where it is really needed.’ efits, layoffs spell catastrophe for millions measures to protect the millions of health speed of the cash injections, or whether They appear to be heeding the advice, of families. Because paid sick leave is not and care workers (most of them women) the recovery curve is flat or steep, but We are not challenging the dogma.” with leaders from Washington to Berlin Once the acute crisis gives way to recovery, he available to many carers and delivery who risk their own health for us every by what we did for the most vulnerable workers - those we all now rely on–they day. Truckers and seafarers, who deliver among us. consigning fiscal orthodoxy to the added, Germany may lead the way back to Euro- dustbin and announcing budget-busting pean austerity to recover the costs of the rescue. are often under pressure to continue medical equipment and other essentials, working even if they are ill. In the devel- must be adequately protected. Telework- -Guy Ryder is the Director-General, rescue plans for the economy. -New York Times oping world, piece-rate workers, day la- ing offers new opportunities for workers International Labour Organization - Agence France-Presse WEEKEND EXPRESS MARCH 27 - 29, 2020 3 GLOCAL

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COLOMBO - An Indian is among the nearly President pardons soldier who 100 COVID-19 positive patients undergo- ing treatment in Sri Lanka, The Hindu has learnt. Three other patients, who are Sri Lankan nationals, also tested positive on their return from India earlier this month, officials said. slaughtered Tamil civilians “All four of them are undergoing treatment and are stable,” Director-General of Health COLOMBO – President Gotabaya Raja- five-year-old and three teenagers. woman for his office said. the conflict, but Sri Lankan soldiers have sel- Services Dr. Anil Jasinghe said on Wednes- paksa yesterday (26) pardoned and released They were killed as they returned to their Rajapaksa, a retired army officer, came to dom been tried in civilian courts. day (25). The Indian High Commission in an army officer on death row for slitting the bombed homes to salvage what was left power in November promising to free mili- Government troops are alleged to have Colombo confirmed that the Indian national throats of Tamil civilians, including four of their belongings, and their bodies were tary personnel jailed for a string of offences killed at least 40,000 Tamil civilians in the had arrived in Colombo on March 12 on a children, during the island's bloody civil war. found buried in a mass grave near an army during the previous administration. final stages of the war -- an allegation the Ra- tourist visa and tested positive upon arrival, Sunil Ratnayake was to be hanged for the camp on the Jaffna peninsula. He and his brother Mahinda, now serving japaksas have denied. but declined to share details of where the December 2000 massacre in a case held up The Supreme Court unanimously rejected as prime minister, are adored by the island's The Tamil National Alliance (TNA), Sri patient departed from. As of Wednesday, Sri by previous Sri Lankan governments as an the officer's appeal and upheld the death Sinhala majority for spearheading the defeat Lanka's main political party for the minority Lanka reported 102 confirmed cases. Three example of rare accountability over abuses penalty last year. of separatist Tamil militants to end the coun- community, condemned what it said was an of them have been discharged on recovery. committed during the conflict. But President Gotabaya Rajapaksa had try's 37-year ethnic war in 2009. "opportunistic" decision to release Ratnay- Based on the data published by the Epide- A court convicted him of murdering eight now "instructed the Ministry of Justice to re- The armed forces were internationally ake. miology Unit of Sri Lanka’s Health Ministry, members of the Tamil minority, including a lease Sgt Ratnayake from prison," a spokes- condemned for atrocities committed during -AFP researchers at the Colombo-based Institute for Health Policy, a non-profit research in- stitute focusing on public health systems and Health ministry tells police policy, have generated a graphic mapping the Work-at-home period till April 3 as source of COVID-19 infections as of March 22, when 78 persons tested positive. Dr. Ravi Healthy people not wearing a face Rannan-Eliya, executive director of the In- coronavirus count climbs to 108 stitute, said COVID-19 “remains still largely” COLOMBO – The government yesterday ple and pave the way for self-quarantine,” it an infection acquired outside Sri Lanka. (26) declared a new ‘work-at-home’ period stressed. mask not an offence A majority of the infected persons are Sri from March 30 to April 3 as part of meas- The health ministry said four new corona- COLOMBO– Healthy people who are not the public to hold on to their masks and keep Lankans who returned from Italy in recent ures to combat the spread of coronavirus, as virus patients had been confirmed yesterday wearing a face mask amid the COVID-19 them stored for use when necessary. weeks, followed by a few from the United the confirmation count went up by four to taking the total to 104, after Wednesday (25) outbreak are not committing an offence, the Deputy Director-General of Health Servic- Kingdom, Germany and India. This is apart 106 yesterday (26). marked one of the rare days without a single ministry of health informed the police yes- es Dr. Paba Palihawadana warned on Tues- from the first case declared by Sri Lanka in “This will apply to all State, semi-gov- person being confirmed as COVID-19 posi- terday (26). day (24) that touching the mask or removing late January of a Chinese tourist who tested ernment and private sector entities except tive. In a letter addressed to the acting Inspec- it to speak and pushing it back on, transports positive. She returned to China following her which are categorized as essential services,” The health ministry said there were 237 tor General of Police (IGP), Health Services the germs in the hand to the mouth. recovery. Only four out of the 100-plus cases the president’s office said in a statement, patients under observation at a number of Director General Dr. Anil Jasinghe said the She also said it was not easy for an ordi- reported in Sri Lanka are seen to be originat- noting that the 5-day period should not be designated hospitals around the country. By health ministry does not recommend eve- nary person to wear a mask for a long time in ing from India, but the information foretells considered as public holidays, and that un- yesterday, six patients had recovered with a ryone wear facemasks at present. He said a way that is sanitary, and that most people a greater risk for India, the public health ex- interrupted continuation of public services Wave I patient from China who was found such masks were recommended for that who buy surgical masks at pharmacies end pert cautioned. was the responsibility of the government. in January 23. people who are suspected to be infected with up touching their mouths with their hands Noting that the cases originating from “However, the objective of this measure -economynext.com COVID-19, their close associates, health staff when they try to put them on. India, of one Indian national and three Sri is to prevent unnecessary gathering of peo- looking after them and people who show Yesterday’s letter however emphasized Lankan returnees, were detected around symptoms of respiratory diseases when they that the Ministry of Health does not intend mid-March, Dr. Rannan-Eliya, who special- are admitted to hospitals. to stop individuals who are already wearing izes in health systems and policy both in Sri The letter warned that incorrect usage and face masks out of his/her personal choice Lanka and globally, said: “During this same disposal of face masks could increase the from wearing them in the future. period, the total case count reported by India spread of the novel coronavirus, and advised -economynext.com/ENCL remained below 200. Such a high incidence in our arrivals from India simply does not fit the reported Indian case numbers.” Accord- ing to him, it “strongly suggests” there has Govt. says prepared to face phase-2 of been a “large undetected outbreak in India since at least early March, and the Indian COVID-19 authorities are failing to detect most of their cases.” COLOMBO - The government yesterday try compared to more developed nations and Further, he has recommended that Sri (26) expressed confidence of the country not that the World Health Organization (WHO) Lanka treat India as a “high risk” country moving into phase 2 of COVID-19, owing to had applauded the measures taken by the when opening its airports to arrivals again. the critical measures taken so far, but said it government so far to combat COVID-19. “Looking at how many of the arrivals from was well prepared to face the challenges of a The minister also said that a number of India were discovered to carry the virus, I phase 2 outbreak in the country. local manufacturers have stepped up to pro- fear that India has not detected over 80% of Co- Cabinet Spokesman, Minister Ramesh duce essential medical equipment, such as the cases,” Dr. Rannan-Eliya said. Pathirana said the government has allocated disposable face masks, protective kits and While being critical of Sri Lanka’s early more hospitals for the treatment of con- ventilators. responses — that didn’t include intensive firmed coronavirus patients and has also es- Pointing out that till now Sri Lanka im- screening of or an early ban on arrivals from tablished 46 quarantine centres to tackle the ported such medical equipment, he said Europe — he feels authorities subsequently virus in Sri Lanka. the latest development will benefit the local realized the risk and took a series of use- He said Sri Lanka was in the forefront in economy in the long term. ful measures. “I suspect we don’t have sig- curtailing the spread of the virus in the coun- -CG/ENCL nificant local transmission right now in Sri Lanka,” he said. All the same, “the problem” Cabraal says in Sri Lanka too was that the rate of testing - Ishara S. KODIKARA / AFP has been low and should be scaled up, in his view. The Medical Research Institute in Sri Special Task Force police commandos distribute food to homeless people during a nationwide Lanka is the premier testing centre for COV- curfew as a preventive measure against the spread of the COVID-19 novel coronavirus, in Country has to prepare strategy for a ID-19. “As of today [March 25], we have con- Colombo yesterday (26). The country is under a lockdown since March 20 as part of efforts ducted 935 tests,” its director Dr. Jayaruwan to reduce the spread of the Coronavirus which has infected at least 102 people in the island post-COVID-19 era Bandara said. The rise in cases prompted of 21 million people. COLOMBO – Sri Lanka has to prepare Most of Sri Lanka’s manufactured exports authorities to set up six other centres, where for post a COVID19 era, where the way the have come to a standstill with both supplies about 400 tests have been performed, ac- global economy works would change, Ni- from East Asia and buyers from the West cording to Dr. Bandara. vard Cabraal, Senior Advisor to the finance disappearing. But to Sri Lanka’s advantage, it already minister said. Sri Lanka is now under curfew, but up to has “sophisticated screening and tracing ca- Brits advised to return as coronavirus “The Sri Lankan economy would also have now health authorities and intelligence units pacity” in place which has ensured that Sri to be re-shaped and restructured to deal have been diligently chasing down contacts Lanka remained Malaria-free, a status the trigger airport closures with the new global economic order and the and daily growth in new cases have been in WHO awarded the island nation in 2016, challenges that would unfold,” Cabraal said. the low single digits. said Dr. Rannan-Eliya. “We are also hoping COLOMBO - The United Kingdom has It also noted that the British High Commis- He said a way forward strategy should be -economynext.com that in this curfew period any possible local asked Britons in Sri Lanka and elsewhere sion in Sri Lanka was issuing regular updates developed after broad consultations. transmission will get suppressed,” he added. to return in an ‘exceptional travel advisory’ on Twitter with the latest available informa- -The Hindu note, while the home country is also in a tion for British nationals wishing to leave worsening coronavirus crisis. Sri Lanka and that the hotel or travel agency The advisory said flights to Sri Lanka have should be able to help book transport to the been suspended since March 19, strongly airport. Foreign ministry launches ‘Contact Sri Lanka’ advised Britons visiting Sri Lanka, to leave It said the Sri Lanka government had es- COLOMBO – A new online portal, ‘Contact the COVID-19 outbreak and to harness digital overseas Sri Lankans to interact between gov- immediately, while commercial means are tablished a helpline for tourists (1912) who Sri Lanka,’ to help Sri Lankans living abroad to technology to prompt faster and more efficient ernment stakeholders, promoting greater ac- available. are facing problems booking taxis to the air- stay in contact was launched at the Ministry of service delivery. cess to government services through a single “Speak to your airline or tour company as port for departure, adding, “The government Foreign Relations yesterday (26). All Sri Lankans living abroad are urged to centralized point at the ministry. The portal soon as possible, as it is likely that flight op- has confirmed that airline tickets can be used Jointly created by the Ministry of Foreign register voluntarily on the platform’s basic it said will also connect overseas Sri Lankans tions will become more restricted in the com- as a curfew pass to travel to the airport.” Relations and Information & Communication functionalities allowing the Government of with the network of Sri Lanka missions abroad. ing days,” the foreign office urged, noting that Unlike many countries Sri Lanka is keep- Technology Agency (ICTA) of Sri Lanka, the Sri Lanka to reach out and provide assistance In the long term, it said the portal will be ex- airlines operating via the United Arab Emir- ing the main airport open for outbound pas- web link is hosted on the ministry web page during emergencies such as the COVID-19 out- panded and is expected to serve as an official ates, including Emirates Airlines and Etihad, sengers at least until March 31, when the de- www.mfa.gov.lk, and can be accessed at www. break. source of information and facilitate overseas have suspended flights out of Colombo indef- cision will be reviewed. SriLankan Airlines is contactsrilanka.mfa.gov.lk. The platform, the Ministry of Foreign Rela- Sri Lankans in obtaining a wider range of digi- initely and that some airlines were changing still flying to London. Oman Air and Qatar is The creation of the portal, follows a call by tions said in a statement, will allow it to ac- tal services offered by the Government. flight schedules without prior notice. “You also flying to Colombo. President Gotabaya Rajapaksa for coordinated cess real time data for quick action and that -ENCL should keep in close contact with your airline -economynext.com/ENCL efforts by all government stakeholders to fight the open access platform would also facilitate or travel agent,” the advisory urged. Kiwi family stuck in Sri Lanka calls SLT to help 18,000 tourists return home for more government assistance COLOMBO– Sri Lanka is ready to help port operations. an estimated 18,093 tourists return home SLT said as of March 25, 18,093 tourists WELLINGTON- Bill Stevenson and his "The message now for many New Zea- either via scheduled flights, which are still were in the country according to the immi- family went to Sri Lanka for a holiday. They landers will simply be wherever you are set operating, or special charters that are re- gration office and urged service providers are now stranded, and the only guests in an yourself up for the time being, because it has quired, the tourism office said yesterday in the hospitality industry currently hosting otherwise empty hotel in Kandy. become increasingly difficult for us to bring (26). international tourists, support tourists with The Christchurch man has called on the you home." Sri Lanka Tourism (SLT) said it was work- airport transportation. government to provide more support to Stevenson, wife Kirsten and two of their ing with the foreign ministry and embassies Given the fact that most parts of the coun- New Zealanders stuck overseas as a result children, aged 13 and 17, left New Zealand on to arrange facilities for tourists to return. try is under curfew, SLT noted that the Act- of countries imposing travel restrictions and March 9 and spent two days in Singapore be- “Sri Lanka Tourism would facilitate any ing Inspector General of Police had assured airlines slashing flights due to the coronavi- fore continuing on to Sri Lanka for a holiday country to fly out their nationals on holiday the air ticket could be used in lieu of a cur- rus pandemic. they had planned for the past eight months. or on work here; back to their home country few pass for the passengers as well as the Other countries have organized mercy When the New Zealand government via charter flights on request,” the agency vehicle and driver. flights to repatriate their citizens. "There's started encouraging people to return, they said It also urged tourists who are unable to obviously opportunities to get us out, be- brought their flights forward from March 26 Though arrivals are suspended into the find transport to get to the airport, to con- cause the Maldives are doing it. Germany is to March 20. country, all departures are supported and tact the closest Police Station or Sri Lanka doing it," Stevenson said. Stevenson said this was the only available Srilankan Airlines operates departure Tourism 24/7 hotline on 1912. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said on flight, but it was cancelled and the family flights daily to UK, Melbourne and Narita. The immigration office said it has extend- Wednesday (25) unless there were commer- could not proceed with their original book- Qatar and Oman Air and a number of oth- ed all visas by an order until April 12, and cial flights operating it was almost impossi- ing as Singapore moved to ban transit pas- er airlines are also flying to Sri Lanka daily departing passenger can pay fees without ble to bring people home. The government sengers. A travel agent was helping the fam- at least till March 31, when Sri Lankan au- penalties at the airport. had been proactive about telling people to ily look for other options, Stevenson said, but thorities are due to review decision on air- -economynext.com return, she said, but now the window for had found nothing. travel had closed. -stuff.co.nz 4 MARCH 27 - 29, 2020 WEEKEND EXPRESS HOT TOPICS

Coronavirus panic By Fiona Harvey UN warns grips Rohingya camps in Bangladesh Protection measures COX’S BAZAR - Experts and activists have warned could cause global that about one million Rohingya refugees living in the crowded and cramped camps in Bangladesh's Cox's Bazar are vulnerable to coronavirus infections. food shortage The wretched conditions in the camps, where most LONDON - Protectionist measures by national of the Rohingya Muslims arrived in 2017 to escape a governments during the coronavirus crisis could Myanmar military crackdown across the nearby bor- provoke food shortages around the world, the der, are fertile ground for any disease, experts say. UN’s food body has warned. The public in other countries is being told to keep Harvests have been good and the outlook for two metres (six feet) apart. That is the width of most staple crops is promising, but a shortage of field paths in Kutapalong, the world's biggest refugee workers brought on by the virus crisis and a move camp with 600,000 Rohingya, that are clogged each towards protectionism – tariffs and export bans – day with people out on the daily hunt for food and mean problems could quickly appear in the com- fuel. Masks that have become a daily essential in ing weeks, Maximo Torero, chief economist of the much of the world are rarely seen. Sanitiser is un- UN Food and Agriculture Organization, told the heard of. Each shack is barely 10 square metres (12 Guardian. square yards) and they are overcrowded with up to “The worst that can happen is that governments 12 people. restrict the flow of food,” he said. “All measures "You can hear your next-door neighbour breath- against free trade will be counterproductive. Now ing," said one aid worker. Social distancing is "vir- is not the time for restrictions or putting in place tually impossible" in the camps, Bangladesh head trade barriers. Now is the time to protect the flow of Doctors Without Borders (Medecins Sans Fron- -Yuri KADOBNOV / AFP of food around the world.” Governments must tieres, or MSF) Paul Brockman said Caption- Two police officers stand guard outside the closed GUM department store in downtown Moscow yesterday resist calls from some quarters to protect their "The scale of the challenge is immense. Vulnerable (26) own food supply by restricting exports, he said, as populations such as the Rohingya will likely be dis- some have begun to do. proportionately affected by COVID-19," the illness By Hazel Ward and Philippe Rater Kazakhstan, for instance, according to a re- caused by new coronavirus, he said. port from Bloomberg, has banned exports of Bangladesh has reported only a handful of coro- wheat flour, of which it is one of the world’s big- navirus deaths and less than 50 cases but the public gest sources, as well as restrictions on buckwheat and experts fear there are many more. G20 in virtual huddle as virus toll and vegetables including onions, carrots and The Rohingya barely know about the disease as potatoes. Vietnam, the world’s third biggest rice the government cut off most of their access to the exporter, has temporarily suspended rice export internet since late last year under measures to clamp contracts. Russia, the world’s biggest wheat ex- down on the refugees. Fears have mounted, though, tops 21,000 porter, may also threaten to restrict exports, as it since a Rohingya family of four who returned from has done before, and the position of the US is in India last week was quarantined at a UN transit cen- MADRID/UNITED NATIONS predictions. home... to steal cash, their toilet pa- doubt given Donald Trump’s eagerness for a trade tre for testing, officials said. A Bangladeshi woman - World leaders were set to hold "As the world confronts the COV- per, their bottled water, their food." war in other commodities. in nearby Cox's Bazar has also tested positive for online crisis talks late yesterday ID-19 pandemic and the challenges Around half of the US population “Trade barriers will create extreme volatility,” new coronavirus, adding to the numbers. (26) on the coronavirus pandemic to healthcare systems and the global is under lockdown, but President warned Torero. “[They] will make the situation "We are extremely worried. If the virus reaches that has forced three billion people economy, we convene this extraor- Donald Trump said he would decide worse. That’s what we observe in food crises.” here, it will spread like wildfire," said Rohingya into lockdown and claimed more dinary G20 summit to unite efforts soon whether unaffected parts of the While the supply of food is functioning well in community leader Mohammad Jubayer. than 21,000 lives. towards a global response," tweeted country can get back to work. most countries at present, problems could start to "A lot of aid and local community workers people With the disease tearing around the king of Saudi Arabia. Saudi cur- The White House, which has been be seen within weeks and intensify over the fol- enter the camps every day. Some diaspora Rohingya the globe at a terrifying pace, warn- rently holds the rotating G20 presi- criticized for its lacklustre response lowing two months as key fruit and vegetables have also returned in recent days. They may be car- ings are multiplying over its eco- dency. to the mushrooming crisis, has re- come into season. These types of produce often rying the virus," he said. nomic consequences, and experts WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghe- peatedly lashed out at Beijing over have short ripening times and are highly perish- Camp resident Lokman Hakim, 50, expressed say it could cause more damage than breyesus said richer nations needed the disease. able, and need skilled pickers to work quickly at deep concern at the lack of preventive measures in the Great Depression. to offer support to low and middle On Wednesday (25), Secretary of the right time. the camps. "We have received soap and been told to Amid squabbling between the income countries. State Mike Pompeo said the Group “We need to be careful not to break the food wash our hands. And that's it," Hakim said. leaders of China and the US over The devastating effect on poorer of Seven powers were united against value chain and the logistics or we will be look- Another community leader, Sayed Ullah, said who is to blame, UN Secretary Gen- nations was laid bare yesterday China's ‘disinformation’ campaign. ing at problems with fresh vegetables and fruits there was "much ignorance and misinformation" eral Antonio Guterres called for the when the Philippines announced A Chinese foreign ministry spokes- soon,” said Torero. “Fruit and vegetables are also about the virus because of the internet shutdown. world to act together to halt the that nine frontline doctors had died man infuriated Washington by sug- very labour intensive, if the labour force is threat- "Most of us don't know what this disease is about. menace. after contracting COVID-19. gesting on Twitter that US troops ened because people can’t move then you have a People have only heard it has killed a lot of people. "COVID-19 is threatening the Three large Manila hospitals said brought the virus to Wuhan, the me- problem.” As governments impose lockdowns in We don't have the internet to know what is happen- whole of humanity," he said. "Global this week they had reached capac- tropolis where it first emerged late countries across the world, recruiting seasonal ing," he said. "We are relying on the mercy of Allah," action and solidarity are crucial. In- ity and would no longer accept new last year. workers will become impossible unless measures he added. dividual country responses are not coronavirus cases. Scientists say the new coronavirus are taken to ensure vital workers can still move The United Nations, which has used volunteers going to be enough." Hundreds of medical staff are un- was first detected at a market that around, while preventing the virus from spread- and aid workers to launch hand-washing and hy- The global lockdown -- which also dergoing 14-day self-quarantines af- sold wild animals. ing. giene campaigns in the camps, has urged the gov- took in India's huge population this ter suspected exposure, the hospitals "Every one of the nations that “Coronavirus is affecting the labour force and ernment to restore normal internet services. week -- tightened further yesterday said. were at that meeting this morning the logistical problems are becoming very impor- "Life-saving health interventions require rapid as Russia announced it was ground- The death toll from the virus, was deeply aware of the disinfor- tant,” said Torero. “We need to have policies in and effective communication," said Louise Dono- ing all international flights, while which emerged in China late last mation campaign that the Chinese place so the labour force can keep doing their job. van, UN spokeswoman at the camps. Moscow's mayor ordered the closure year, continued to grow, with the Communist Party is engaged in to Protect people too, but we need the labour force. "Communication is key to the timely and effective of cafes, shops and parks. US becoming the sixth country to hit try and deflect from what has really Major countries have yet to implement these sorts management of this situation," she said. Tokyo's millions of citizens have four figures. taken place," Pompeo told reporters. of policies to ensure that food can keep moving.” The Bangladesh refugee commissioner's office re- been told to stay home and tourism- Almost 1,050 people are now But any notion of unity after the Countries such as the UK, with a sinking cur- fused to say whether authorities would restore the dependent Thailand has shuttered known to have died in the United videoconference among the G7, rency and high level of imports, are also likely to internet. Authorities have concentrated on cutting its borders. States, with nearly 70,000 con- which also includes Britain, Canada, see food price rises unless the government takes outside access to 34 refugee camps. Economists say the restrictions firmed infections, a tally by Johns France, Germany, Italy and Japan, action or retailers absorb some of the costs, he "We have minimised aid activities in the camps. imposed around the world could Hopkins University showed. Glob- was dashed by the lack of a joint said. The most important role governments can Only food, health and law-related work will con- cause the most violent recession in ally the number of infections is clos- statement -- often a formality at play is to keep the food supply chain operating, tinue," said Bimol Chakma, an official from the recent history. ing in on half a million. such gatherings. intervene to ensure there are enough workers, commissioner's office. Rohingya living in coun- "The G20 economies will experi- The rocketing infection rate in the Reports suggested the statement and keep the global food markets from panicking, tries hard-hit by coronavirus have been trying to ence an unprecedented shock in the US has sparked a rush to buy weap- was scuttled by Pompeo's insist- according to Torero. warn people in the camps through phone calls from first half of this year and will con- ons, gun store owners told AFP, with ence that it use the term "Wuhan “If traders start to become nervous, conditions abroad. Many expatriate Rohingya have returned to tract in 2020 as a whole," ratings customers panicking about societal virus" -- a phrase frowned upon by will get difficult,” he said. “It just needs one big the camps without being screened. agency Moody's said. breakdown. medical professionals who say it is trader to make a decision [to disrupt the supply "If they carry the virus and mingle with crowds, Unemployment rates are expected "A lot of people are buying shot- stigmatizing. The origins of the vi- of staple crops] and that will affect everywhere. it would be another massacre, much bigger than to soar -- as much as 30% in the US guns, handguns, AR-15 (semi-au- rus notwithstanding, its human cost Governments must properly regulate, that is their what happened in 2017," said Australia-based Ro- -- according to James Bullard, presi- tomatic rifles), everything," said continued to rise, as did the volume biggest function in this situation. It’s very impor- hingya activist Mojib Ullah, referring to the deadly dent of the St Louis Federal Reserve. Tiffany Teasdale, who sells guns in of the alarm bells being rung all over tant to keep alive the food value chain: intervene clampdown in Myanmar that UN investigators said Leaders of the G20 major econo- Washington state. the world. to protect the value chain [including the supply of amounted to genocide. mies were set to virtual huddle yes- "A lot of people are scared that - Agence France-Presse workers] but not to distort the market.” -AFP terday in the shadow of such dire someone is going to break into their Individuals can also play an important role, by avoiding panic buying and hoarding of food, and cutting down on food waste. Buying too much By Dmitry Zaks By Mark Landler fresh farm produce that then goes off before it can be eaten will just exacerbate food supply prob- lems, he said. “Individuals should only buy what To help fight COVID - 19 they need to avoid food waste.” In pope's residence Animal welfare is also an issue as border delays caused by the COVID-19 lockdown measures are meaning that livestock journeys are lengthened. as well In the UK, some farming leaders have called Britain enlists an army for a “land army” of workers to replace a short- fall of workers that could reach 80,000, according As clergyman tests positive to one estimate, if the 60,000 seasonal workers of volunteers recruited from abroad in normal years are pre- LONDON — Two days after Prime Minister drugstores, would allow doctors and nurses vented from coming, and if some British workers and is hospitalized Boris Johnson imposed a lockdown on Brit- to work more safely. None of these develop- fall ill. Organizations representing both wealthy ain to curb the spread of the coronavirus, the ments will spare Britain a harrowing few landowners and agricultural workers have urged government has recruited an army of more weeks, as the trajectory of cases rises steeply. the government to intervene. VATICAN CITY - An Italian em- "He spends much of his time in than 400,000 volunteers to help elderly The country was rattled by news Wednes- The Country Land and Business Association ployee of the Holy See who lives in his apartment, and when he moves people quarantined in their homes, as well day (25) that Prince Charles, the eldest son (CLA), representing more than 30,000 UK land- the same residence as Pope Francis inside the residence, he keeps the as the beleaguered public health system. of Queen Elizabeth II and the heir to the owners and rural firms, made a similar call last was yesterday (26) reported to have necessary safe distances," La Stampa The recruiting drive, which drew nearly throne, had tested positive for the virus and week, for the government to make it easier for tested positive for COVID-19 and has wrote. "The anti-contagion cordon twice its goal in less than 24 hours, was one was suffering mild symptoms. Charles, 71, people thrown out of work by the lockdown to been hospitalized. has been tight around the pope for of several rays of hope in a country that has last met with the queen on March 12, only a find seasonal work on farms. Several Italian newspapers with weeks," La Stampa wrote, adding been girding itself for an onslaught of infec- day before medical experts said it was pos- The Department of Environment, Food and Ru- reputable sources in the Vatican said that secretaries bring his meals to tions. Officials also expressed guarded opti- sible that he had become infectious with the ral Affairs has said its officials and ministers are the clergyman has lived for years in him on a tray. mism that the National Health Service could virus. Buckingham Palace said the queen, in regular communication with representatives of the Saint Martha's guesthouse. Il Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni cope with the flood of patients now that Brit- 93, was healthy. The British diplomatic ser- the food industry to ensure the food supply chain Messaggero said the person is "one told AFP he could neither confirm ain has adopted the sweeping social-distanc- vice was shaken by the death of one of its remains resilient. of the pope's closest collaborators, nor deny the reports. The official ing measures of other European countries. rising stars, Steven Dick, 37, from the virus. Andre Laperriere, executive director of Global an official of the Secretariat of the Vatican News site said the number of “This is going to be a close-run thing,” Dick was serving as deputy chief of the Brit- Open Data for Agriculture and Nutrition, which State, who was found to have a slight people infected in the city state has Chris Whitty, the country’s chief medical of- ish Embassy in Budapest, Hungary. provides data on food and agriculture, said the temperature after going in for a rou- risen to four. ficer, said at a Downing Street news confer- “We will cope, and we are coping under government must make plans to ensure the food tine check." The ANSA news agency said the ence with Johnson. “This gap will probably the most challenging circumstances,” John- supply chain functioned smoothly. The daily La Stampa said the un- Italian clergyman in the pope's resi- be manageable by the NHS, but we can’t son said. He marvelled at the recruiting “Empty shelves in supermarkets should not named person has been hospitalized dence was a fifth case not reported guarantee that.” campaign, which he said had attracted “in be much of a concern,” he said. “It is not a sup- in Rome and that his office has been by official sources. Life in the Vati- The statement was a striking turnaround one day, as many as the population of Cov- ply problem – it is a logistics problem. There is disinfected. Pope Francis has re- can has traditionally been shrouded from last week, when officials and outside entry” — a midsize city known for its medi- enough supply for all, as long as everyone stays mained largely secluded at his resi- in secrecy and little is known about experts warned that Britain was on a course eval cathedral left in ruins by Nazi bombs in calm and stops hoarding. We may tend to waste dence since coming down with a cold how popes spend their days. to be the next Italy, with a growing number World War II. food if we hoard more than required, and hoard- late last month. But the Argentine-born pontiff of cases that would hopelessly swamp hospi- The 405,000 volunteers, he said, would ing would also artificially increase food prices be- The 83-year-old pontiff has a small has tried to connect more with the tals. It was also evidence that Britain, which deliver food and medicine to roughly 1.5 mil- cause of the pressure on the supply chain.” apartment in the building and takes people and do away with some the only grudgingly accepted the isolation meas- lion elderly and vulnerable people, whom He called for borders between the UK and other his meals there. He also has private Vatican's more formal traditions. He ures of Italy, France and Spain, was pulling the government has asked to stay at home countries to remain open for imports and exports, meetings and occasionally moves to refused to move into the luxurious together to meet a national challenge. for 12 weeks. Thousands of retired doctors and for farm workers to be supplied with protec- the Vatican library to record live- papal palace upon being elected to The government moved to fix one of its and nurses have agreed to go back to work tive equipment to enable them to carry on with streamed messages to the world's succeed Pope Benedict XVI in March weaknesses — widespread testing — by an- to reinforce the ranks of the health service. their jobs safely amid the coronavirus lockdown. 1.3 billion Catholics. La Stampa said 2013. His Saint Martha's residence nouncing plans to buy 3.5 million test kits That, plus the lockdown that Britain has “The food sector comes under the critical infra- Pope Francis has been "eating alone is a simple building erected next to that would allow people to test themselves adopted, has buoyed hopes among experts structure sector, along with healthcare and emer- in his room for some time," as a pre- Saint Peter's Basilica in 1996. at home. The tests, which officials said that the hospitals will be able to cope. gency services,” he said. caution. -AFP would be available on Amazon or at Boots -New York Times -The Guardian WEEKEND EXPRESS MARCH 27 - 29, 2020 5 REALITY CHECK

By Katie Forster and Uzair Rizvi By Karan Deep Singh, Vindu Goel, Hari Fake cures, Kumar and Jeffrey Gettleman risky rumours When the world’s largest coronavirus When virus misinformation lockdown begins hits home NEW DELHI — India’s economy was sputtering even before its leader announced the world’s larg- HONG KING/NEW DELHI - From being est coronavirus lockdown. Now the State-ordered duped into taking poisonous "cures," to watch- paralysis of virtually all commerce in the country ing businesses crumble and avoiding life-saving has put millions of people out of work and left medication, people are suffering devastating re- many families struggling to eat. al-world impacts of a deluge of online virus mis- On the first day of the nationwide 21-day shut- information. down of nearly all services Wednesday (25), the As the new coronavirus that has killed more streets of Mumbai, India’s largest metropolis — than 20,000 people causes markets to crash and usually so busy it is known as Maximum City— sets scientists scrambling for a solution, rumours were silent. Shuttered shops, empty train tracks, and false claims are fuelling confusion and deep- closed airports and idle factories all across the ening the economic misery. country were signs of the economic impact of the The effects can be tragic -- in Iran, one of the social distancing that the Indian government said hardest-hit countries, more than 210 people died was necessary to prevent new coronavirus infec- from drinking toxic alcohol after claims circu- tions. lated online that it could treat or ward off COV- India has reported 606 coronavirus cases so ID-19, the official Irna news agency reported. far, but with the population density so high and Dangerous fake cures debunked by AFP in- the public health system so weak, Prime Minister clude consuming volcanic ash and fighting in- Narendra Modi ordered the country’s 1.3 billion fection with UV lamps or chlorine disinfectants, residents to stay inside to keep India from sliding which health authorities say can harm the body into a disaster that could potentially dwarf what if used incorrectly. Another remedy that "kills China, Italy, Spain, the United States and other the coronavirus", according to misleading social countries have faced. media posts, is drinking silver particles in liquid, But Modi’s effort to prevent the spread of the known as colloidal silver. -Samuel Aranda/The New York Times virus will lead to its own calamitous damage. "I am making colloidal silver now. I have asth- Manual labourers have no work, farmers can- ma and does it really work... worried/stressed Health care workers take a break from work at a hospital in Barcelona on Tuesday, March 24, 2020. Spain, with almost 2,700 not tend fields, online retailers and pharmacists over virus. Does this help if I take a teaspoon a deaths, remains the country hardest hit by the coronavirus in Europe after Italy have been harassed by overzealous police officers. day? New to this..." said a post by a user named Countless people have been running out of cash. Michelle in a public Facebook group, alongside a By Raphael Minder and Elian Peltier “The kind of devastation that is going to be photo of a jar of water with a metal rod in it. faced by the bottom 50% of the workers in the The side effects of taking colloidal silver can informal sector is unimaginable,” said Jayati include a bluish-grey skin discoloration and poor Ghosh, an economist and professor at the Jawa- absorption of some medicines including antibi- harlal Nehru University in New Delhi. otics, according to the US National Institutes of Dead in their beds In some places, police officers have staked out Health. roads and highways, stopping motorists and de- But this has not put some people off. An Aus- manding to know why they were outside. Several tralian man who said he regularly buys the con- A deluged system leaves some elderly to die, rocking Spain’s self-image states have closed their borders, forcing cargo coction told AFP it had "sold out in my town ... trucks to simply park by the roadside. Flipkart, but before the virus, I could always get some". the country’s largest online retailer, found it so Cocaine and bleach-like solutions are also MADRID — Spain prides itself on talities, but Spain’s toll is growing dead rises a lot,” he said. being a tight-knit society that re- faster. On Wednesday, 738 died in Spain’s coronavirus victims have difficult to move people and goods that it sus- among the risky fake cures touted online. "No, pended delivery of everything except food. cocaine does NOT protect against #COVID-19," spects parents and grandparents, Spain, versus 683 in Italy. been older, on average, than those where powerful bonds across genera- The growth of new infections and in other countries. Over 65% of the Grocery stores were allowed to remain open, the French government tweeted in response. and in the cities, crowds swarmed and emptied As panic buying leaves supermarket shelves tions mean that the elderly play an deaths appears to be levelling off in Spanish dead were 80 or older, ac- integral part in family life, beyond Italy, the hardest-hit country, but cording to a data sample provided the shelves. At an upscale market in New Delhi, empty around the world, some Indian traders one man stuffed his Mercedes with groceries and farmers have had the opposite problem -- just helping to look after grandchil- in much of Europe and around the from the health ministry, compared dren. world, they continue to accelerate. to 50% in Italy as of last week, and Wednesday afternoon, jumped behind the wheel people shunning their products due to false in- and zoomed off — wearing blue rubber dishwash- formation. So even in a country besieged by Spain reported about 8,000 new cas- 15% in China in February. the coronavirus epidemic, where es on Wednesday, a new high, rais- As nursing homes have come un- ing gloves and a snorkelling mask. Retailers in Delhi told AFP they had stocked up The National Restaurant Association of India on Chinese-made goods such as toy guns, wigs the death toll overtook China’s on ing the national total above 47,000, der fire, directors of some of them Wednesday, the news this week compared to about 5,000 new infec- have accused the government of estimated that perhaps 20% of the 7.3 million res- and other colourful accessories ahead of Holi fes- taurant workers will permanently lose their jobs tival earlier this month. about Spain’s nursing homes has tions in Italy, which has had more passing on the blame for its own come as a particular shock. than 74,000. shortcomings in a crisis that has left as employers go out of business. “Many compa- But "misinformation about Chinese products -- nies may not survive this onslaught,” said Anurag that they might transmit coronavirus -- caused a Soldiers who were sent to disin- Spain’s government has not said doctors, nurses and mortuary em- fect nursing homes had found peo- how many bodies or neglected resi- ployees without the protective gear Katriar, the association’s chief executive and the downfall in the sales of Holi goods. We witnessed owner of a chain of upscale eateries. a reduction in sales of around 40% compared to ple “completely abandoned, or even dents have been found in nursing they need. dead, in their beds,” the defence homes, but Spanish public prosecu- In Spain, thousands of health care Harcharan Singh, a vendor in rural Punjab previous year", said Vipin Nijhawan from the Toy state who usually goes door to door peddling Association of India. minister, Margarita Robles, revealed tors are investigating possible crimi- professionals have been infected, Monday. More gruesome discoveries nal neglect. accounting for 15% of the country’s everything from oranges to cauliflower, has had The World Health Organization has said the nothing to sell for days. The big wholesale food virus does not last long on inanimate surfaces, so followed, including the revelation of At least 24 people were reported total cases, the highest percentage two dozen deaths in a single nursing dead Wednesday at a nursing home reported by a country. And nursing markets he normally relies on have all been it is unlikely imported goods would remain infec- closed. “Our business is completely shut,” he said. tious even if contaminated. The rapid spread of home in Madrid. that had been disinfected by the home workers, like those in hospi- Amid the thousands of tragedies army over the weekend, in the Ma- tals, are not only particularly ex- “We need this money to survive, get food for our information online means that when scientists families.” discuss as-yet unproven theories, anxious pa- created by the virus, the stories drid district of Chamartín. Two other posed to the virus, they can also be emerging from those homes have Madrid homes have recently been vectors for its spread. Hundreds of millions of Indians are like Singh, tients can take unnecessary risks. with little or no savings. Rickshaw drivers, for ex- Confusion has been sparked by letters and the- shaken the nation not only for their similarly decimated. In Catalonia, the north-eastern horror but for undermining the view In the Madrid region, over a fifth region of Spain, regional authorities ample, buy food for their families with the money oretical papers published in scientific journals they make that day. Banned from the roads, many about whether some types of heart medication the Spanish had of themselves. of the nursing homes have had cases are launching their own investiga- “We have really kept a welfare state of coronavirus, authorities said Mon- tion into two retirement homes near drivers do not know how they will survive. can raise the chance of developing a serious form Economists at Barclays predicted Wednesday of COVID-19. This has prompted health authori- and a strong family support struc- day. Compounding the problem, doz- Barcelona where more than 20 resi- ture, but this terrible news coming ens of their infected employees are dents have died. Over 200 residents that the lockdown would last a month and shave ties across Europe and America to advise heart 2 percentage points off India’s anaemic economic patients -- already more at-risk for the disease -- from nursing homes must also force now isolated at home. have been infected in 70 retirement us to acknowledge some very seri- Countries across Western Europe, homes in Catalonia. growth rate. Although India is likely to escape a to continue taking their drugs. recession, Barclays said, such a significant slow- Professor Garry Jennings, chief medical advi- ous deficiencies,” Marina Subirats, which have some of the oldest popu- Across other parts of the country, a well-known Barcelona-based soci- lations in the world, are struggling to regional authorities are now scram- down would mean rising joblessness in a country sor for Australia's Heart Foundation, said the where millions of young people enter the work- theoretical papers were "based on a number of ologist, said in a telephone interview. protect the most vulnerable among bling to evacuate homes or take full El País, the country’s leading news- their aging people — while also ac- control of them. force every year. factors which are all disputed" and warned that Modi acknowledged the trade-offs in a televised if patients stopped taking their medication there paper, wrote in an editorial that the knowledging that the crisis among On Tuesday, a convoy of ambu- deplorable situation in some nursing the elderly, particularly in nursing lances transferred 28 infected resi- address Tuesday night, when he first announced could be an upshot in heart attacks and deaths. the nationwide lockdown. "In the absence of any other evidence that it's homes had exposed “a bitter black homes, might be far worse than any- dents from their home in Alcalá del hole in our welfare state.” one knows. Valle, a town in the South, while the “No doubt this lockdown will entail an eco- actually happening, and with the knowledge that nomic cost for the country, but saving the life of these drugs are beneficial... it's not a good idea to Another source of pride for the In Italy, authorities have conceded mayor and the regional administra- Spanish has been the country’s ro- that their coronavirus death toll did tion blamed each other for allowing each and every Indian is the first priority for me,” stop," he said. he said. “If we are not able to manage the next And a man died in the US from taking a form of bust public health care system; last not include those who had died at three people to die inside. The sick year, a study ranked Spain as the home or in nursing homes. Similar- residents were taken to a home in 21 days, then many families will be destroyed chloroquine -- hailed by President Donald Trump forever.” Economists are urging the government as a potential "gift from God" remedy" -- after he world’s healthiest country. But that ly in France, officials have said that La Línea de la Concepcíon, about 80 part of the national self-image has only those who died in hospitals had miles away. to create a huge stimulus package to blunt the ef- took a form of the drug his wife had used to treat fects of the lockdown. her pet fish. The woman told NBC News: "I saw it also taken a beating from a pandemic been recorded as pandemic-related While some regions have been far that has overwhelmed many hospi- — a practice they said would change less affected by the coronavirus than India’s government stores an enormous grain sitting on the back shelf and thought, 'Hey, isn't supply, which could quickly be distributed to the that the stuff they're talking about on TV?'" tals and sickened thousands of health in the coming days. Madrid, clusters are showing up in care workers. Fernando Simón, the director of homes for the elderly almost every- poor, said Dharmakirti Joshi, chief economist at Banner Health, a non-profit health care pro- CRISIL, a Mumbai-based credit ratings agency. vider based in Phoenix, said on its website that Spain’s official death count from Spain’s national health emergency where. In Alicante province in south- COVID-19, the disease caused by the centre, on Wednesday acknowledged eastern Spain, deaths in retirement Joshi also urged direct cash payments to indi- "a man has died and his wife is under critical care viduals, and loans to small and medium-size busi- after the couple, both in their 60s, ingested chlo- new coronavirus, climbed Wednes- the cost to Spain of not having man- homes have accounted for 95% of the day (25) to over 3,400, almost 300 aged to protect those in nursing coronavirus deaths. nesses. “Give a clear signal that you will help,” he roquine phosphate, an additive commonly used said. at aquariums to clean fish tanks." more than in China. Only Italy, at homes. “When the virus enters nurs- more than 7,500, has had more fa- ing homes, of course the number of -New York Times The Modi administration is deliberating what - Agence France-Presse kind of stimulus to offer and a plan is expected to be unveiled within days. For now, people can only hunker down at home. One chief minister, in Tel- angana state in the centre of the country, threat- By Hannah Devlin ened to issue “shoot on sight” orders if people did not take the lockdown seriously. In the Andamans, Jagadishan, a taxi driver who Men are much more likely to die from coronavirus - but why? uses only one name, has been cooped up in his house in Port Blair, longing to “walk past the sea LONDON- It has been well-publicised outcomes. id-19 statistics. women have two) and so it is possible and smell fresh sea air.” that COVID-19 discriminates by age and The smoking hypothesis was backed “The growing observation of in- that some genes involved in the immune “All shops are shut, not even groceries or chem- by underlying health conditions. by a paper, published last month, that creased mortality in men is holding true response are more active in women than ists are open,” he said, which should not be the But it has become increasingly ap- found smokers made up about 12% of across China, Italy, Spain. We’re seeing in men. case, according to the government’s rules. “The parent that it also discriminates by sex, those with less severe symptoms, but this across very diverse countries and Sex differences in the immune re- uncertainty is killing me.” with men more likely to test positive and 26% of those who ended up in intensive cultures,” said Sabra Klein, a professor sponse to Covid-19 are likely to show up The lockdown includes schools, offices, facto- more likely to die from the disease. care or died. at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of in antibody surveys that are currently ries, parks, temples, railways, even the airspace. The trend was first seen in China, Smoking might also act as an avenue Public Health. under way across the world. Klein said To impose social distancing where people are or- where one analysis found a fatality rate for getting infected in the first place: “When I see that, it makes me think she has already reviewed papers on this dinarily squeezed together, exempted businesses of 2.8% in men compared with 1.7% in smokers touch their lips more and may that there must be something universal from Chinese teams, who have tracked and the authorities are looking to devise solu- women. share contaminated cigarettes. that’s contributing to this. I don’t think blood samples from patients over the tions. In the city of Meerut, police began sham- Since then, the pattern has been mir- Behavioural factors that differ across smoking is the leading factor.” course of infection. “We can expect more ing people caught evading the lockdown, forcing rored in France, Germany, Iran, Italy, genders may also have a role. Some stud- Previous research, including by Klein, on this soon,” she said. them to hold signs — later posted on social me- South Korea and Spain. ies have shown that men are less likely to has revealed that men have lower innate Ultimately, Hawkes said, biology, life- dia — stating they did not care about protecting In Italy, men have accounted for 71% wash their hands, less likely to use soap, antiviral immune responses to a range of style and behaviour are all likely to play society. of deaths and, in Spain, data released less likely to seek medical care and more infections including hepatitis C and HIV. a role. Outside Mother Dairy, a national milk coopera- yesterday (26) suggests twice as many likely to ignore public health advice. Studies in mice suggest that this may But it will only be possibly to tease out tive, shopkeepers drew circles and squares on the men as women have died. These are sweeping generalisations, but also be true for coronaviruses, though the exact balance when sex disaggregat- pavement using chalk to indicate where people So why are men more vulnerable? across a population could place men at Covid-19 specifically has not been stud- ed data is more widely available. should stand and wait. “The honest answer is none of us know greater risk. ied. It is disappointing, she said, that only During his address Tuesday night, Modi spoke what’s causing the difference,” said Prof However, there is a growing belief “Their immune system may not initi- six out of 20 countries have so far pub- forcefully about the dangers of social interaction Sarah Hawkes, director of the UCL Cen- among experts that more fundamental ate an appropriate response when it ini- lished such a breakdown for case num- and how Indians must make big, immediate sac- tre for Gender and Global Health. biological factors are also at play. While tially sees the virus,” Klein said. bers and deaths. rifices. Modi remains widely popular in India. In Early on, smoking was suggested as a there are higher proportions of male Hormones can also play a role – oes- “The UK and US aren’t there,” said many quarters, what he says goes. likely explanation. In China, nearly 50% smokers in many countries – in Italy, trogen has been shown to increase an- Hawkes. “They must have that data, Still, rumors and misinformation have led to of men but only about 2% of women about 28% of men and 19% of women tiviral responses of immune cells. And they’re just not presenting it in that way.” the closure of essential businesses and the harass- smoke, and so underlying differences in smoke – the differences are nowhere many genes that regulate the immune -theguardian.com ment of citizens, outcomes that the government lung health were assumed to contribute near as extreme as in China. But men system are encoded on the X chromo- likely did not intend. to men suffering worse symptoms and continue to be overrepresented in Cov- some (of which men have one, and -New York Times 6 MARCH 27 - 29, 2020 WEEKEND EXPRESS RETHINKING AMERICA

By Kirk Johnson By Jennifer Senior The long Trump to New goodbye Funerals are another thing York: Drop that now must wait dead SEATTLE — After Mary Flo Werner died last week of cancer, her nine grandchildren filed So it’s essentially come to this: President in through the big white doors of their Catho- Donald Trump is treating each of our 50 lic church in Janesville, Wisconsin, for the fu- states as individual contestants on ‘The Ap- neral Mass. Nine plus the priest made 10, the prentice’— pitting them against one another maximum number allowed to gather these days, for scarce resources, daring them to duke it since a widening coronavirus outbreak led to out — rather than mobilizing a unified na- strict limits on public gatherings. tional response to a pandemic. Left to grieve in the church parking lot were If that’s the case, this is the episode where Werner’s four adult children. They sat in their New York loses. The coronavirus is whipping cars and watched their 74-year-old mother’s through the state, especially New York City, at service on their phones and tablets. a terrifying rate. We need personnel, ventila- In Staten Island, New York, the family of Ar- tors and personal protective equipment, stat. nold Obey, 73, a retired school principal, does But Trump’s response has been the same not know when or how his funeral might occur. as President Gerald Ford’s in 1975, when Obey died Sunday (22) night while vacationing By Matina Stevis Gridneff, Patrick Kingsley, Haley Willis and Sarah Almukhtar our city, faltering on the brink of insolvency, in Puerto Rico and his wife is in isolation in a begged Washington for help and was brutally San Juan hotel room awaiting coronavirus test rebuffed, a moment forever enshrined in The results. Meri Dreyfuss, a tech worker in the Daily News’ headline ‘FORD TO CITY: DROP San Francisco area whose older sister, Barbara DEAD’. ‘We are like animals’ Now Trump is telling us the same. Literally. Dreyfuss, died in Seattle this month of the coro- navirus, has put off a funeral until the fall. -Dave Sanders/The New York Times Untold thousands will likely die absent “We can’t properly bury our dead because of federal intervention. And it needs to happen the situation,” she said. “We can’t mourn to- A person wearing a medical mask is unloaded from an ambulance outside of Elmhurst Hospital Centre in New York, on this instant — not just for the good of the city, gether, we can’t share memories together, we Wednesday (25). Across the city, which has become the epicentre of the coronavirus outbreak in the US, hospitals are but for the nation. The president needs to set can’t get together and hug each other.” beginning to confront the kind of harrowing surge in cases that has overwhelmed health care systems in China, Italy and a precedent in his hometown. The rituals of honouring and saying goodbye other countries. On Wednesday morning, New York City reported 16,788 confirmed cases and 199 deaths On Tuesday (24) morning, Gov. Andrew to the dead run deep. Reaching out to touch in Cuomo opened his daily coronavirus briefing sympathy and condolence feels instinctive. But on a far more sombre note than usual, noting the coronavirus, in its confounding and confin- By Michael Rothfeld, Somini Sengupta, Joseph Goldstein and Brian M. Rosenthal that the number of cases was climbing at a ing effects — stay-at-home orders, bans on large faster rate than even the experts had predict- gatherings and fears of travel and exposure — is ed, doubling roughly every three days. “The blowing those traditions apart, no matter the apex is higher than we thought, and the apex cause of death. is sooner than we thought,” he said. “That is a Postponement and uncertainty, and for many 13 deaths in a day bad combination of facts.” families a painful triage of who can physically What it means, practically speaking: Our attend a service and who cannot, are becoming hospitals will soon be overwhelmed with part of the language of obituaries and family dis- An ‘apocalyptic’ coronavirus surge at an NYC hospital COVID-19 patients. The governor has already cussions even as people grieve. said that the state is 30,000 ventilators short. “In light of COVID-19, a family funeral will be The only way to acquire the volume we need NEW YORK — In several hours on some of the poorest communities in week. President Donald Trump said held,” is how the loved ones put it in the obituary — delivered at the speed we need — is through Tuesday (24), Dr. Ashley Bray per- the nation. Regardless of whom they on Wednesday on Twitter that con- for Ivan Brenko, a 98-year-old man who died federal intervention, which means sending us formed chest compressions at Elm- serve, few have been spared the im- struction was ahead of schedule, but near Toronto. The obituary for James Anthony the bulk of the ventilators from the strategic hurst Hospital Centre on a woman pact of the pandemic: A flood of sick that could not be independently con- Michael, 91, who died March 18 in a suburb of national stockpile, which has roughly 20,000, in her 80s, a man in his 60s and a and fearful New Yorkers has besieged firmed. Detroit, said that “due to health concerns, the and deploying the Defence Production Act to 38-year-old who reminded the doc- emergency rooms across the city. Officials have also discussed con- family has chosen to do a memorial Mass at a force private manufacturers to make more. tor of her fiancé. All had tested posi- Working with state and federal verting hotels and arenas into tem- later date”. But that’s not what the president is doing. tive for the coronavirus and had gone officials, hospitals have repeatedly porary medical centres. Reba McEntire, the country music star, an- He refuses to use the Defence Production Act, into cardiac arrest. All eventually expanded the portions of their build- At least two city hospitals have nounced that the memorial service for her fearing it’ll put an undue burden on business, died. ings equipped to handle patients filled up their morgues, and city offi- 93-year-old mother, Jacqueline McEntire, who and he’s keeping his federal stash under tight Elmhurst, a 545-bed public hospi- who had stayed home until worsen- cials anticipated the rest would reach died of cancer last week, would be held at some lock and key. tal in Queens, has begun transferring ing fevers and difficulty breathing capacity by the end of this week, ac- indefinite point the future, “when it is safe for On Tuesday morning, Cuomo confirmed patients not suffering from corona- forced them into emergency rooms. cording to the briefing. The state re- everyone to attend”. that FEMA would be sending the state only virus to other hospitals as it moves Elmhurst, among the hardest-hit quested 85 refrigerated trailers from It has become a time of frantic improvisation 400 ventilators. (“What are we going to do toward becoming dedicated entirely hospitals in the city, is a prime exam- FEMA for mortuary services, along and adaptation as families and funeral providers with 400 ventilators when we need 30,000?” to the outbreak. Doctors and nurses ple of the hardships medical centres with staff, the briefing said. scramble and relatives mourn as best they can. he asked.) Vice President Mike Pence later have struggled to make do with a and their staffs are facing across the A spokeswoman for the city’s of- The family of 86-year-old Norman Merkur said he’d send New York 4,000 from the few dozen ventilators. Calls over a country. fice of the chief medical examiner gathered Tuesday (24) afternoon to participate stockpile — a fine start, but nowhere near loudspeaker of “Team 700”, the code “Elmhurst is at the centre of this said the briefing was inaccurate. “We in his funeral service via Zoom, the cloud meet- what New York needs. for when a patient is on the verge crisis, and it’s the number one prior- have significant morgue capacity in ing app. Merkur, a Korean War veteran, died What is the president waiting for, and why of death, come several times a shift. ity of our public hospital system right our five citywide sites, and the ability over the weekend as his health deteriorated is he hoarding — or let’s be charitable and say Some have died inside the emergen- now,” the city’s public hospital sys- to expand,” she said. from lymphoma. The burial was observed by husbanding — his resources? Must the death cy room while waiting for a bed. tem’s statement said. “The front line In interviews, doctors and nurs- a rabbi at the gravesite in Palm Bay, Florida toll in New York prove so calamitous he needs A refrigerated truck has been sta- staff are going above and beyond in es at hospitals across the city gave — along with 45 family members and friends no further proof? Is he trying to make an tioned outside to hold the bodies of this crisis, and we continue surging accounts of how they were being who watched online from New York, Califor- example of his former home? the dead. Over the past 24 hours, supplies and personnel to this critical stretched. nia, Pennsylvania and New Hampshire. It was “I will take personal responsibility for New York City’s public hospital sys- facility to keep pace with the crisis.” Workers at several hospitals, in- brief and traditional, despite the non-traditional transporting the 20,000 ventilators anywhere tem said in a statement, 13 people at Dr. Mitchell Katz, the head of the cluding the Jacobi Medical Centre webcast, and there were few references to the in this country that they want, once we are Elmhurst had died. Health and Hospitals Corp., which in the Bronx, said employees such as pandemic, until the end. past our apex,” Cuomo said. “But don’t leave “It’s apocalyptic,” said Bray, 27, a operates New York City’s public hos- obstetrician-gynaecologists and ra- “May all of you stay healthy, may all of you them sitting in a stockpile, and say, ‘Well, general medicine resident at the hos- pitals, said plans were underway to diologists have been called to work in stay safe,” Rabbi Craig Mayers said as the cer- we’re going to wait and see how we allocate pital. transform many areas of the Elm- emergency wards. emony closed. “And may we come together in them across the country.’ That’s not how this Across the city, which has become hurst hospital into intensive care At a branch of the Montefiore Med- the future to properly celebrate Norman’s life at works.” the epicentre of the coronavirus out- units for extremely sick patients. ical Centre, also in the Bronx, there a time when it is safe for all of us to gather.” It would be one thing if other states were break in the United States, hospitals But New York’s hospitals may be have been one or two coronavirus- Some families are grieving in shifts. in the same dire position as New York. But are beginning to confront the kind about to lose their leeway for creativ- related deaths a day, or more, said At Bradshaw-Carter Memorial and Funer- they aren’t. We have 10 times the number of harrowing surge in cases that has ity in finding spaces. Judy Sheridan-Gonzalez, a nurse. al Services in Houston, a family came in last of cases as Washington and eight times that overwhelmed health care systems in All of the more than 1,800 inten- There are not always enough gur- week saying they expected 25 immediate family of California. New Yorkers are now locked China, Italy and other countries. On sive care beds in the city are expected neys, so some patients sit in chairs. mourners to attend an upcoming service. “What in place, waiting for the wave to come. As of Wednesday (25) evening, New York to be full by today (27), according to One patient on Sunday had been we offered was 10 at one time,” said Michael Tuesday night, Dr. Deborah Birx, coordinator City reported 20,011 confirmed cases a Federal Emergency Management without a bed for 36 hours, she said. Carter, the company’s co-founder. “Ten at, say, for the White House Coronavirus Task Force, and 280 deaths. Agency briefing obtained by The Rikki Lane, a doctor who has 2 o’clock, a maximum of 10, and then we could recommends that New Yorkers self-quaran- More than 3,922 coronavirus New York Times. Patients could stay worked at Elmhurst for more than schedule another 10 for another time, 3 o’clock, tine if they leave the state. Gov. Ron DeSantis patients have been hospitalized in for weeks, limiting space for newly 20 years, said the hospital had han- which would give us time — we needed a certain of Florida is ordering anyone flying in from the city. Gov. Andrew Cuomo on sickened people. dled “the first wave of this tsunami”. amount of time to sterilize the facility,” he said. New York to self-quarantine for 14 days upon Wednesday offered a glimmer of Cuomo said on Wednesday that he She compared the scene in the emer- Even though some families are making do, landing. hope that social-distancing meas- had not seen the briefing. He said he gency department with an over- others continue to fret about when things might I guess Trump likes the numbers where ures were starting to slow the growth hoped that officials could quickly add crowded parking garage where phy- allow a traditional service — the kind where they are. I have news for him: They won’t stay in hospitalizations statewide. This units by dipping into a growing sup- sicians must move patients in and family and friends show up to say goodbye. that way. The idea that New York is an excep- week, the state’s hospitalization esti- ply of ventilators, the machines that out of spots to access other patients Nancy Moncrief, who had to postpone the fu- tion rather than a harbinger is madness. mations were down markedly, from some coronavirus patients need to blocked by stretchers. neral for her brother, Henry Wray Eversole Jr., The rest of the country may regard New a doubling of cases every two days to breathe. Family members are not permitted 76, when he died recently of lymphoma, said she York as a black hole of need. But in fact the every four days. The federal government is send- inside, she said. was worried more now about her 95-year-old opposite has always been true; we’re forever It is “almost too good to be true,” ing a 1,000-bed hospital ship to New Lane recalled recently treating a mother. sweeping more into the federal till than we Cuomo said. York, although it is not scheduled man in his 30s whose breathing de- “This is taking a toll on her,” Moncrief said. “It receive in services. In 2018, according to the Still, hospitals are under siege. to arrive until mid-April. Officials teriorated quickly and had to be put would at any time, but it’s just doubling now — state comptroller’s office, we gave $26.6 bil- New York City’s hospitals run the have begun erecting four 250-bed on a ventilator. “He was in distress nobody can come up and give her a hug and tell lion more to Washington than we got back, gamut from prestigious teaching hospitals at the Jacob K. Javits Con- and panicked, I could see the terror her how sorry they are that she’s lost her son.” ranking us dead last for federal benefits. institutions catering to the elite to vention Centre in Midtown Man- in his eyes,” she said. “He was alone.” Now, we finally have a native New Yorker in -New York Times public hospitals providing care for hattan, which could be ready in a -New York Times the White House to do something about this discrepancy. Instead, he’s the worst offender, and this time the consequences will be lethal. By Sabrina Tavernise Part of me can’t help but wonder if Trump is just playing to his base, which views cities with suspicion, perhaps New York above all. Even before coronavirus We are multiculturalism personified — home of the United Nations, a place where 637 languages and dialects are spoken. A purée while the rest of the nation is vegetable soup, America’s population was growing at slowest rate since 1919 as Spalding Gray once lovingly said. Never mind that Trump is himself a crea- WASHINGTON — The American popu- Hampshire, who analyzed the numbers. people — down by nearly half since 2016 Greece, Germany and Spain. In some, im- ture of New York, just a different dimension lation is growing at its slowest pace since Experts point to what they say is a per- — the United States had a population in- migration keeps the populations growing. of New York. Tabloid New York, real estate 1919, new government data shows, as fect storm, in which the three forces that crease of just 0.48%. The new census data offers details New York and (above all, and most ironi- a drop in births and an acceleration in make up a country’s population growth — That is the lowest rate since the last about the populations of counties and cally) global New York, which made possi- deaths put the country closer than ever to births, deaths and immigration — have all time the country was in the midst of a se- metropolitan areas. Johnson calculated ble his worldwide hotels, his construction an overall decline. gone off-kilter. vere pandemic — the flu that killed hun- that deaths now exceed births in about projects made of Chinese steel, his loans from The figures, released by the Census A sharp and steady decline in the birth- dreds of thousands of Americans between 46% of counties in the country, far more Deutsche Bank. It’s a New York he now disa- Bureau yesterday (26) and analyzed by rate since the Great Recession means 1918 and 1919. than at the start of the decade, when the vows. A New York he now blames. demographers, were for the 12 months births are no longer such a powerful William Frey, chief demographer at pattern held in just 29% of counties. Now But it was New York that made him a reality that ended in July 2019, long before the driver of growth. Immigration, which the Brookings Institution, said the num- large swaths of New England, western television star. And what reality television coronavirus began to spread in the Unit- would typically pick up the slack, is down bers put the last decade on track to be Pennsylvania, central Florida and much prizes more than anything, we’ve learned, is ed States. Experts said that if one of the sharply too. And deaths are rising as baby the slowest 10-year period for popula- of Appalachia glow red on his map of a Darwinian frame of mind. The contestants more dire projections of coronavirus-re- boomers age and drug overdoses surge. tion growth since the government started counties that exhibit the pattern. aren’t there to make friends. They’re there to lated deaths holds true, the country could Now there is the added threat of the coro- counting in 1790. Once the pattern starts, it can be hard destroy each other. They’re there to win. Only face its first yearly drop in population, navirus, which is particularly lethal for The balance of births and deaths is crit- to stop. Johnson estimated that 90% of the best win. particularly if immigration continues to older people. ical to a country’s demographic health. If the counties that experienced the imbal- But this is not a game. Trump has no clue fall. Births fell to 3.79 million in the year deaths start to outnumber births — and ance in one year saw it repeated during how to marshal the forces of federal govern- “If this epidemic is as significant as ending in July 2019, while deaths jumped immigration does not make up the dif- the decade. These tend to be places with ment, which he stripped down to the studs. some think, we could have deaths ex- to 2.83 million. That difference — the ference — society can strain under the little immigration and a dwindling num- He has no unifying instincts at all. New York ceeding births in the nation as a whole, natural growth of the population — is now weight of a growing retiree population ber of young families. Their schools tend will be gasping for breath, and the other which has never happened in the history less than one million for the first time in with too few working-age people to sup- to close because there are not enough states will soon follow. Unless he takes action, of this country,” said Kenneth Johnson, decades. When combined with immigra- port it. Deaths exceed births in several children to fill them. now. a demographer at the University of New tion, which fell to a net gain of 595,348 European countries, including Italy, -New York Times -New York Times WEEKEND EXPRESS MARCH 27 - 29, 2020 7 COMMENTARY

By Ravi Agrawal South Asia’s looming disaster Most South Asian countries locked their borders down last week or even earlier, but the number of confirmed coronavirus cases keep rising, particularly in Pakistan and India. This trend suggests that the region has likely moved from phase two of the virus outbreak, when trans- mission is traced to people who have arrived from foreign countries, to phase three, when the disease is spreading more widely among communities. “We don’t have public evidence we’re in phase three in India,” said Ramanan Laxminarayan, the director of the Washington, DC-based Center for Disease Dynam- ics, on the phone from New Delhi. “But there’s anecdotal evidence. The data and modeling show we should be in phase three. And it’s very hard to prevent this next phase from taking place.” We’ve seen this pattern in China, Iran, Western Europe, and the United States: The coronavirus spread starts off slow and then grows exponentially. “And by then you’re far behind, and catching up is really diffi- cult,” said Ashish Jha, the director of the Harvard Global Health Institute. Jha believes it’s more likely that India -LAKRUWAN WANNIARACHCHI / AFP has between 5,000 and 10,000 cases—10 or 20 times the People wearing facemasks queue outside a shop at Piliyandala on the outskirts of Sri Lanka's capital city Colombo on Tuesday (24), as the authorities briefly lifted a curfew official numbers—but that most are undetected due to to allow residents to stock up on essentials amid concerns over the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus. limited testing. If the number of cases doubles every five days, India and its neighbors are less than a month away from a potentially unmanageable number of cases and By Mangala Samaraweera deaths. It’s not as if South Asian countries aren’t taking action. India, the region’s largest economy, has ground to a halt since the weekend. Authorities urged people to take curfew orders seriously, shutting down domestic com- These are testing times for Sri Lanka mercial flights and rail services. In a televised address to the nation on Tuesday (24), Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a strict 21-day nationwide lockdown. And the government must govern; humanely, scientifically and legally “If we are not able to manage the next 21 days, we will be pushed back by 21 years,” he warned. “For 21 days, forget Sri Lankans have lived through count- is my second point. Schools were closed, study the practice of other democratic ever, the Pre-Election Budgetary Position what it means to step outside your home.” less crises. Civil wars, insurgencies, con- public places shut and holidays granted. countries to avoid these problems. Report states that the government intends In Pakistan, the military has been called in to impose stitutional coups droughts and famines The nation was coming to a stand-still. There is also the question of the rule-of- to prepare a so-called ‘Vote-on-Account’ restrictions on public gatherings. Nepal’s government are but a few examples. Yet, even for the But the Elections Commission and po- law. The relevant public health legislation for March, April and May. It is unaccep- declared a countrywide lockdown until at least March most seasoned among us, these are testing litical party offices were hives of activity. and emergency, such as the Quarantine table that a vote in Parliament, which the 31, with people barred from leaving their homes except times. The entire nation - now in lockdown What choice did they have? The country Act, gives the government the powers it Constitution says “has full control over to buy medicine or groceries. In Sri Lanka, the govern- – is anxious. We are worried for our loved was readying for polls. This was clearly a needs to fight this virus. But it also speci- public finance,” could be overturned by ment extended a nationwide curfew to promote social ones. We stress that our provisions will not grave public health hazard. Elections are, fies how those powers need to be exercised Presidential decree. I will release a de- distancing and accepted a $500 million loan from China last till the next time curfew is lifted. We after all, the precise opposite of social dis- in order to prevent abuse. Therefore, it is tailed statement on this matter in the com- for its public health efforts. Even in Afghanistan, where fear that we will contract the virus when tancing. They involve campaigning, nomi- my duty to ask, what regulations has the ing week. the Taliban are skeptical of global health organizations, a we set out. Day-earners, in particular, nations and tens of thousands of public Minister of Health issued to give the cur- By depriving Parliament of the opportu- spokesman for the militant group confirmed that it was dread that their money will run out before servants organizing a logistically complex few legal effect? What legal sanction can nity to meet the Government is - entirely ready to cooperate with World Health Organization. the crisis ends. operation over months. the government use to punish curfew- avoidably and very irregularly -taking pub- “The lockdowns are pretty serious measures,” said We can all take encouragement and hope There was no need for elections at that breakers? In fact, the Government has an lic finance into its own hands. This is even Laxminarayan, referring to India’s move. “And people are from the doughty and cooperative spirit time. The President, although briefed on obligation to publish online all the regu- truer because, unlike in 2015 when a budg- taking social distancing seriously. But it’s not so easy to we have demonstrated at this time. By the coronavirus threat, decided to conduct lations, whether old or new, that are cur- et was passed before polls, the government practice physical distancing in the way that’s needed.” and large, the Sri Lankan people and our early polls. Parliament’s term only fin- rently being used to manage this situation. failed to pass a budget before declaring Last week, I pointed out how India has lower ratios state have risen to the challenge. Doctors ishes in August. Polls could be held then. Fourth, although it is not yet apparent, elections. of hospital beds and doctors per capita than developed and nurses - the generals and soldiers of Instead, the President chose to go ahead perhaps the gravest error the Government In challenging times, it is also consti- economies—a shortage that also holds true for its neigh- our collective fight against the virus - have with polls. Even after the entire country has made is its failure to convene Parlia- tutionally proper to have the people’s bors. Barring the Maldives and Afghanistan, most South been doing an extraordinary job. They are was asked to stay at home the President ment. A pandemic of this magnitude calls representatives meet to steer the country Asian countries underspend on health care. Bangladesh, at the frontlines, putting themselves at risk did not revoke the Election Gazette. By for the entire system of governance to work through these perilous waters. Section Pakistan, and India spend 2.4%, 2.8%, and 3.7% of their to keep us all safe. The public services, po- this action he could have bought us all a together. There is only so much the Presi- 70(7) of the Constitution, which empow- GDPs respectively on health expenditure, compared to lice and armed forces also bearing a great few more days in the fight against the vi- dent, Prime Minister and Cabinet can do ers the President to convene Parliament 8.9% for Italy and 17.1% for the United States. burden in supporting their efforts. I know rus. Since early action matters so much, it alone. This will become all the more visible in an emergency, exists for precisely such But there are several other problems that will manifest the entire country is grateful to them all. may have avoided some of the hardship we should the pandemic mutate into an eco- an eventuality. Mr. President, I believe it is as the region attempts to slow the spread of the corona- The people have also largely acted with are experiencing now. This is why the Elec- nomic crisis. In order for Sri Lanka to meet your duty and responsibility to ensure that virus. wisdom: we can be proud that following tions Commission postponed elections the both these challenges, it needs to have all Sri Lanka has a legislature at this time of First, consider the workforce. According to data from public health guidelines is not the excep- moment it had the power to do so, on the arms of government active and working. emergency. the International Labor Organization, in India, Nepal, tion across the island, it is the rule. We can close of nominations. The Commissioners, Without Parliament, the government is Even if Parliament, on public health and Pakistan, a respective 80.9%, 90.7%, and 77.6% of also be proud that the Sri Lankan spirit of sought public health advice, and learnt it fighting the virus and its effects with one- grounds, cannot meet as a full House, there the population is employed in the informal sector—work- generosity has been manifest throughout was the responsible and right thing to do. hand tied. Without legislative approval, are other alternatives. The minimum quo- ing for daily wages, usually without contracts, health care, the length and breadth of our island. This The President had access to the same pub- the debt-ceiling cannot be raised to pro- rum for Parliament to meet is 20. By mu- or pensions. (Bangladesh is a relative bright spot, with is true of the private sector too. Many firms lic health advice. Regrettably, his actions vide economic relief. Nor can any other tual agreement, those twenty members can only 48.9% in the informal sector). For most of these are doing their bit to fight the virus. All in appear to have been dictated by other con- economic relief measure involving govern- reflect the composition of Parliament. For informal workers, taking a day or two off from work—let all, I think we can be very proud indeed to siderations. ment revenue or expenditure. example, in New Zealand, a Parliamentary alone a month—can be ruinous. It’s quite likely that these be Sri Lankans today. In fact, many tell me Third, there is absolutely no doubt that The Pre-Election Budgetary Position Select Committee will function throughout workers will continue to seek work, potentially exposing that the Sri Lankan people and state are emergency measures like curfews are nec- Report has just been published. That too the lockdown to ensure the government re- themselves to the coronavirus. setting an example for the entire region. essary. But any disruption to public life of is welcome. But it contains an insidious af- mains accountable to its citizens. Second, social distancing is easier said than done for Unfortunately, this is not entirely true such a wide-ranging and sustained nature front to democracy. It states that the gov- The next few weeks and months are migrant workers and slum-dwellers who live in close of our government. First, the government must be predictable, hygienic and adhere ernment intends to prepare what it calls going to be tough for us all. Our health, quarters with several other people, often with shared initially ignored a number of warnings, to the rule of law. The sudden announce- a ‘Vote-on-Account’ using the powers of livelihoods and economy are under grave public toilets and limited access to clean water and disin- including warnings raised in Parliament, ment of curfew last Friday, the very short Section 150(3). First, Section 150(3) does threat. Each one of us must do our bit. The fectants. South Asia has some of the world’s most popu- and failed to take adequate preventative time-frame for purchasing essential items not grant the President Powers to prepare doctors and nurses are already doing an lated cities, and also the most densely populated ones: measures, such as in the case of travelers on Tuesday (24) and arbitrary extensions a Vote-on-Account. There can be no Vote- extraordinary job advising, directing and Mumbai, Kolkata, and Karachi are the top three. That from Italy. Even more worryingly, a tour- in some districts are regrettable. Citizens, on-Account without a vote in Parliament. healing. Public servants are helping imple- makes unfettered community spread more likely. South ism promotion video was made by par- including senior citizens, were unable Section 150(3) of the Constitution clearly ment the measures they recommend. The Asia’s cities are also among the world’s most polluted, ties close to the very top of the Govern- to maintain social distancing due to the specifies that the President’s powers to government must govern; humanely, sci- meaning people are likely to suffer from asthma or other ment just as the pandemic was spreading crowds. Pandemonium reigned in the Pet- draw on the Consolidated Fund after Par- entifically and legally. The opposition must respiratory illnesses, weakening their bodily response to through the world. There are also reports tah market. At many shops, citizens had to liament is dissolved is limited to funds nec- both support and critique the government; COVID-19. that persons near and dear to those in po- wait for hours in the hot sun. This is bad essary “for the public services.” In other constructively, responsibly and creatively. In other words, things will get much worse before they sitions of power and responsibility have enough. But even those at the frontlines – words, funds necessary for paying the sala- As citizens, we must all follow the guide- get better. Harvard’s Jha predicts that as many as 40% been sent through the VIP lounge to avoid nurses, police and PHIs had to queue-up ries of government servants and keeping lines issued by the health authorities at all of Indians could get infected with the coronavirus, which the screening and quarantine process. to purchase provisions. The government the government running. times and join hands – irrespective of any could mean between 300 million and 400 million infect- That said, once the WHO raised the should prioritize delivery services to their Second, the Pre-Election Budgetary Po- and all differences – to fight a virus that ed, up to 70 million needing some hospital treatment, and alarm, the response has been largely swift families. These risks, hardships and sourc- sition Report’s stated intention to prepare threatens us all, without regard for borders as many as 8 million to 20 million needing intensive care and effective. We welcome the fact that es of anxiety are regrettable and avoidable. a so-called ‘Vote-on-Account’ without a or any differences created by man. in hospitals. “That’s not fathomable in terms of what the the government is following scientific and I request the authorities to issue clear and vote, usurps the Vote-on-Account voted hospital system can possibly accommodate,” Jha told FP. public health advice. predictable instructions. I also request by Parliament. The Parliament sanctioned -Mangala Samaraweera is an “A lot of people could die outside of health care facilities.” With one important exception, which them to request public health experts to Vote-on-Account ends on April 30. How- MP and former finance minister -Foreign Policy

By Raji Krishna Conflicts continue despite COVID-19’s threat to all NEW DELHI - Global and regional devel- site castigated US President Donald Trump the release of the novel coronavirus” that has to expose it, the Americans pointed out. the US is as much a part of the Afghan mess opments taking place in the midst of the cor- for pursuing his pet policy of ‘America First,’ infected more than 334,000 people globally. Meanwhile, China accused the US of as the other parties. onavirus pandemic illustrate French writer when, as President of the most powerful na- Klayman and his advocacy group ‘Freedom bringing the virus to Wuhan through a con- Meanwhile, on the ethnic front in Af- Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr’s very percep- tion with the widest reach in the world, he Watch and Buzz Photos’, a Texas-based tingent of 280 US army personnel who had ghanistan, the Daesh (which is opposed tive remark that “the more things change, should be leading a global campaign against company, has filed the lawsuit in the US Dis- participated in the World Military Games to the US as well as the Taliban) fired on a the more they remain the same.” the virus and earning the name of being the trict Court for the Northern District of Texas, held there in October 2019. The Russians group of Sikh worshippers in KabuI, killing Even as the grim situation created by the world’s saviour. alleging that the novel coronavirus was "de- have backed the claim. In an interview to 26 of them. The Indian media, which is at pandemic is affecting the world’s powers, in- According to Baron, this is what Trump signed by China to be a biological weapon of “Nature News” (from where the Russian war with Pakistan, immediately quoted un- ternal and international conflicts are contin- said in the context of the viral pandemic: war," and that whether or not the country in- “Press TV” picked it up) US human rights named Indian officials saying that Pakistan uing with the same intensity as before. Na- “We should never be reliant on a foreign tended to release it, China violated "US law, lawyer Francis Boyle claimed that the US was behind the attack. According to Indian tional and geo-strategic priorities have not country for the means of our own survival. international laws, treaties, and norms." developed the SARS virus as a bioweapon, circles, Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence changed despite fervent appeals for interna- This crisis has underscored just how critical "Because China has agreed by treaty to citing a 2015 peer-reviewed paper from re- had done the horrendous deed to break the tional and inter-communal unity and coop- it is to have strong borders. outlaw such weapons, these actions can- searchers at University of North Carolina at friendly relations New Delhi has with the Af- eration. Calls for revision of goals in view of “Our goal for the future must be to have not be official governmental actions of the Chapel Hill. ghan government in Kabul. the grave threat to humanity as a whole, are American medicine for American patients, People`s Republic of China and are not sub- Coronavirus: A new theatre of conflict The unceasing India-Pakistan feud over going unheeded. American supplies for American hospi- ject to any possible claim of legal immunity with Iran Kashmir is also continuing in the midst of According to ‘World Meters Info’ (https:// tals, and American equipment for our great from suit," the lawsuit said. It went on to al- The US said that it will not send humani- the coronavirus epidemic. Media has report- www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/) the American heroes.” lege that the purpose of maintaining the vi- tarian aid to COVID-19-hit Iran because Iran ed that the Indian government is unwilling global situation is indeed grim with 468, Baron points out that this is indeed rus within the laboratory was to use it to "kill would not release US prisoners. But Iran’s to let Kashmiri medical students in Bangla- 253 positive coronavirus cases and 21, 184 Trump’s old refrain, having been elected US citizens and other persons and entities in Supreme Leader, Ayotollah Khamenei, ac- desh come back to India, citing the coronavi- deaths. Deaths per million are: 2 for Chi- on this platform in 2016, and hoping to be nations perceived to be an enemy of China.” cused the US of sending the laboratory rus epidemic as an excuse. na; 124 for Italy; 3 for the US; 78 for Italy; elected on the same platform later this year. The complaint has alleged that the virus manufactured coronavirus virus to Iran to Meanwhile, New Delhi appeared to be and 25 for Iran. Public health research- “It is part of the populist rejection of globali- was "released by the Wuhan Institute of Vi- destroy the Iranian people. US humanitar- looking at the question of repatriating In- ers in Bangladesh have warned that nearly zation, which is quite grounded on plenty of rology, located in Wuhan, China, where the ian aid might be a Trojan Horse to send the dian Shia Muslims from COVID-19 hit Iran 600,000 Bangladeshis will have died by the evidence. In the 2020 race, nearly all of the coronavirus outbreak originated.” virus, he charged and said that Iran would from a communal or anti-Muslim angle. It time the epidemic fades out in a few months, Democratic candidates echoed Trump or his The US government had already blamed not accept that kind of aid. has reportedly been dragging its feet over if the government does not intervene with a sentiments with their intense focus on do- Beijing for the coronavirus pandemic af- Conflict in Afghanistan continues the repatriation of 254 COVID-19 positive range of measures. mestic issues,” Baron explains. ter the Chinese government held American Afghanistan is experiencing political un- cases among the 850 Indian Shia Muslims Funds for COVID-19 containment have Legal row with China soldiers responsible for bringing the conta- certainty, and violence has been unceasing presently stuck in Iran. In fact, all 850 In- been announced, but these have been mea- Meanwhile, the US is continuing its con- gious disease to China. The administration despite a commitment to reduce violence dia Shia Muslims stranded in Iran want to gre. Follow up actions are not in evidence frontation with China on the origin of the of US President Donald Trump had pointed as a prelude to a “peace deal” between the be repatriated. They had even held a dem- although the virus has been playing havoc coronavirus. A Washington-based lawyer, out that the Chinese government covered up US and the Taliban. But in the midst of this onstration in front of the Indian embassy in since February. Larry Klayman, has filed a USD 20 trillion the outbreak of the virus for a long time and grave situation, the US said that it is cutting Teheran. Kevin Baron, writing in ‘Defence One’ web- lawsuit against China for the “creation and even punished the whistle-blowers who tried aid to Afghanistan by US$ 1 billion although -ENCL 8 MARCH 27 - 29, 2020 WEEKEND EXPRESS A THOUSAND WORDS A pictorial The great empty journey to a lockdown A pictorial look at how Sri Lanka prepared to battle the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and how the streets of Colombo emptied out in the lockdown hours… -J. Sujeewakumar/ENCL

The Pettah Central Bus Stand gets a thorough soap and water cleansing as a holiday is declared to prepare for the COVID-19 battle - March 16

-Todd Heisler/The New York Times Times Square in New York City was mostly devoid of people on March 19. The very thing that has made cities vulnerable in a pandemic has protected them in other disasters

During the 1950s, New York’s Museum of Modern Art organ- ized a famous photo exhibition called ‘The Family of Man.’ In the wake of a world war, the show, chock-a-block with pictures of people, celebrated humanity’s cacophony, resilience and common bond. Today a different global calamity has made scarcity the necessary condition of humanity’s survival. Cafes Disinfecting the trains at the along the Navigli in Milan hunker behind shutters along with the Milanese who used to sip aperos beside the canal. New Dematagoda railway yard – March 17 York’s Times Square is a ghost town, as are the City of London and the Place de la Concorde in Paris during what used to be the morning rush. Photographs all tell a similar story: a temple in Indonesia; Haneda Airport in Tokyo; the Americana Diner in New Jersey. Emptiness proliferates like the virus. The New York Times re- cently sent dozens of photographers out to capture images of once-bustling public plazas, beaches, fairgrounds, restaurants, movie theatres, tourist meccas and train stations. Their present emptiness, a public health necessity, can con- jure up dystopia, not progress, but, promisingly, it also sug- gests that, by heeding the experts and staying apart, we have not yet lost the capacity to come together for the common good. Stocking up for the COVID-19 doesn’t vote along party lines, after all. These images shutdown ahead – are haunted and haunting, like stills from movies about plagues and the apocalypse, but in some ways they are hopeful. March 20 -NYT -Victor Moriyama/The New York Times Living quarters are lit up in São Paulo, Brazil, on March 19, where many people are staying home because of the coronavirus

The colours of silence, as the sun sets on a Colombo extended curfew - March 24

-Philip Cheung/The New York Times

A man is sitting in an empty bus station An unchanging ocean, a on the eve before Persian New Year barely recognizable beach in during the outbreak of coronavirus in Santa Monica, Los Angeles, Tehran, Iran, on March 19 on March 18

- Arash Khamooshi/The New York Times

The big empty after 48 hours in lockdown – March

-Woohae Cho/The New York Times

The international terminal People walk through Dongdaemun of Haneda Airport in Tokyo, Design Plaza in the city centre of March 18 Seoul, South Korea on March 20 Checkpoints reappear in the outskirts of Colombo - March 26

- Noriko Hayashi/The New York Times

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