BUSINESS | Page 1 SPORT | Page 1 QFBA ‘We need launches collaboration initiative to to overcome empower this situation’ businesses

published in QATAR since 1978

MONDAY Vol. XXXXI No. 11503 March 30, 2020 Sha’ban 6, 1441 AH

GULF TIMES www. gulf-times.com 2 Riyals

MoTC enables public Guarantees worth QR3bn staff to work remotely allocated to local banks

he Qatar Government has an- tools such as Microsoft 365 Security spread of the novel coronavirus (Cov- uarantees worth QR3bn will be al- nounced its partnership with and Productivity solutions. id-19) and ensure the health and safety located to local banks as part of the TMicrosoft to implement modern “The Qatar National Vision 2030 of citizens and residents in the coun- Gdirectives of His Highness the Amir workplace solutions such as Micro- defi nes our strategy to pursue eco- try.” Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, to soft Teams to enhance productivity nomic, social, environmental and hu- Microsoft Teams is a collabora- support the economic and fi nancial sector by empowering its workforce to work man development while ensuring the tion productivity tool that empow- within the framework of the precautionary remotely. well-being of our workforce, citizens ers workforces to chat, meet, call, and measures to combat the spread of the novel The move will foster communication and residents. Digital Transforma- collaborate - all in one place. While coronavirus (Covid-19). and collaboration amongst govern- tion has been the cornerstone of this governments and organisations across HE the Prime Minister and Minister ment entities to ensure uninterrupted journey, which drives our passion to the globe are moving to remote work, of Interior Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin delivery of services to businesses and bring the best of technology in place Teams delivers an approach to foster a Abdulaziz al-Thani issued the directive citizens, the Ministry of Transport to achieve our goals”, said Mashael Ali new culture of working together. yesterday. This is in connection with and Communications (MoTC) said in al-Hammadi, acting assistant under- “Microsoft’s commitment to our the support package to provide financial a statement. secretary of Information Technology customers is grounded in our mission and economic incentives, amounting to The swift enablement of govern- Aff airs at the MoTC. to empower them in achieving more. QR75bn for the private sector. ment employees to work remotely She added: “Platforms such as Mi- Our collaboration with the govern- Qatar Central Bank (QCB) said in a stems from Qatar National Vision 2030 crosoft Teams are an ideal tool for us ment of Qatar speaks to this mission as statement that the amount of QR3bn and readiness of the government as it to bring our people and processes to- we continue our eff orts to enable them comes within the support package for began its digital transformation jour- gether and help us ensure continu- with solutions to collaborate from an- granting soft loans and without commis- ney three years ago through a partner- ity in communication and workfl ow ywhere. sions or fees for the affected companies ship between the MoTC and Microsoft amongst our workforce in a secured “We look forward to support- to support salaries and rents through on modernising the government work- environment. ing them as they take a leap forward guarantees issued by Qatar Development place. “And this is evident, in light of the in their digital transformation jour- Bank (QDB) to banks operating in the Through a transformation pro- recent decision to reduce the number ney by enabling the workforce to stay state. gramme ‘Secure Government Modern of employees present at government connected remotely and reinvent the QCB in co-operation with QDB, will set Workplace’, the eff ort enabled thou- workplaces to 20%. The precaution- modern workplace,” said Lana Khalaf, the standards and mechanisms for the im- sands of government employees with ary measures are taken to prevent the country manager, Microsoft Qatar. plementation of the incentive.

Amir sends message British army helps build Covid-19 hospital to Argentina president His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim 16 citizens held for violating bin Hamad al-Thani has sent a written message to Argentina’s President Alberto Fernandez, pertaining to quarantine requirements bilateral relations and means to bolster them. Qatar’s ambassador to Argentina Batal bin Mojab al-Dosari he Ministry of Public Health an- al-Marri, Abdullah Mohamed Salem delivered the message during a nounced that the competent au- al-Bahah al-Marri, Abdullah Ali Ba- meeting with the president yesterday. Tthorities arrested 16 Qatari citi- khit Ali al-Athbi, Abdullah Jaber Ali zens who violated the requirements of Rashid Alyan, Saif Hamad Saif Ali Qatar welcomes Bahrain home quarantine yesterday (Sunday) al-Athba, Bandar Saif Ali Saif al- decision to accept its and referred to prosecution. Marri, Hamad Jaber Hamad Mohamed They had signed affi davits which al-Zakiba, Nasser Abdullah Salem citizens transiting Doha warned of arrest and prosecution if the al-Hutil al-Marri, Sultan Mohamed Qatar has welcomed the decision of conditions were violated. The ministry akhit al-Athba al-Marri, Faisal Mo- Bahrain to allow the latter’s citizens, said the arrest of these persons is part hamed Bakhit al-Athba al-Marri, who were transiting through Doha of the measures in force in the country Ali Rashid Ali Rashid Afi fa, Abdullah from Iran, to return home. and approved by the health authorities. Mashey Shabib Hussain al-Dossary, Qatar wished that Bahrain had This is to ensure public safety, in or- and Mohamed Jaber Mohamed al-Za- accepted its off er to fly the Bahraini der to prevent the spread of the novel badani al-Marri. citizens home on a private charter coronavirus (Covid-19). The authorities reminded citizens flight, instead of prolonging their The persons arrested are: Abdul- and residents in home quarantine of waiting time, the Government Nasser Ahmed Ahmed al-Shaybah, the necessity of strict adherence to Communications Off ice said in a Rashid Hadi Rashid al-Sable al-Mar- the conditions set by the Ministry of statement. “Qatar stands ready to ri, Abdullah Hayel Nazel Rashid al- Public Health for their own safety and play its humanitarian role during this Soldiers from 1 Royal Anglian Regiment and members of Queen’s Gurkha Engineer Regiment assist with the building of Anzi, Abdullah Hussein Ali al-Ateeq others. (QNA) global crisis. It is unfortunate that the new NHS Nightingale Hospital to fight against the spread of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19), in London. Bahrain has launched allegations , false accusations and politicised the 44 new Covid-19 cases; 3 more recover humanitarian situation of its citizens attempting to transit home. The Ministry of Public Health yesterday quarantine where they are receiving the “Allowing them to return home , as registered 44 new confirmed cases necessary medical care. The ministry requested by Qatar to the relevant of the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) in announced that the three patients authorities in Bahrain , is a step in the Ashghal intensifi es safety steps at Qatar, in addition to the recovery of who have recovered, brought the total right direction,” the statement noted . three cases of those infected. Some of number of cured cases in the country “As the health and safety of these the new cases of infection are related to to 48. The health ministry is continuing Bahraini citizens is paramount at this sites, workers’ accommodations travellers who returned to Qatar, while to undertake all necessary checks for all time, the Ministry of Public Health others are due to some contacts with citizens arriving from abroad, as well as in Qatar will communicate with its cases earlier diagnosed with Covid-19. all individuals who have been in contact counterpart in Bahrain, to inform he Public Works Authority tions. The audits were conducted to The new cases have been put into with the aff ected cases. (QNA) them of the results of the coronavirus (Ashghal) has intensifi ed its ef- ensure that all contractors and sub- tests that have been conducted,” Tforts to inspect the workers’ contractors are complying with the the Government Communications accommodation and project sites, as requirements set out in the contrac- Covid-19 empties New York streets Off ice said. Qatar wishes the Bahraini part of the preventive and precau- tual documents and are abiding by citizens good health and safety, the tionary measures it has implemented the relevant Qatari laws. statement added. (QNA) to limit the spread of the coronavirus The most important measures that disease (Covid-19). are taken at all workplaces and ac- Some services stopped at “These eff orts are part of Ashghal’s commodations include temperature private health facilities commitment to eff ectively manage and monitoring (eff ective since the be- respond to the ongoing coronavirus ginning of March 2020), cleaning and The Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) (Covid-19) disruption, while continuing sanitising staff transport buses twice has issued a memo announcing its to provide essential road and drainage daily (morning/evening). decision to stop certain medical services to the communities of Qatar,” a This is in addition to mandatory services at all private healthcare statement issued by the authority said. cleaning and sanitisation of all hand- facilities in the country. Ashghal, in collaboration with its rails, doorknobs and handles and any According to the memo (dated contractors, has taken further health Disinfection work underway at a other associated items that come into March 28, 2020) published on the and safety measures, especially on workers’ accommodation. contact with the human hand. MoPH website, private healthcare project sites to enable the continuity Moreover, all recreational or social facilities have been directed to stop of its core operations whilst ensuring and safety measures are applied gatherings and sports events have providing services such as dental the health and safety of its staff . against the coronavirus outbreak. been suspended until further notice. clinics, dermatology and laser clinics, The health and safety teams are With the aim of improving on-site The audit team also made sure that plastic surgery clinics and surgical conducting ongoing inspections of workers’ welfare standards, Ashghal all necessary toiletries, liquid soap procedures, except for emergency labour accommodations and welfare has carried out the Worker’s Welfare dispensers and hand dryers were pro- A woman crosses 5av while it seems empty as the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) cases. Page 4 facilities to ensure stringent health Compliance Audit in various loca- vided in the workers’ accommodation. outbreak continues in New York City, US, yesterday. Gulf Times 2 Monday, March 30, 2020 QATAR

FM receives QU-CENG develops medical SJC extends suspension of phone call court sessions for 2 weeks from Italian products’ designs to fi ght virus he Supreme Judiciary ing an e-mail address to receive Council (SJC) announced all their inquiries and respond to Tthe extension of its sus- them according to the jurisdic- counterpart atar University’s Col- reason for covering and fi xing pension of the sessions of the tion of each court, in addition lege of Engineering the battery-powered wire mesh Court of Appeal, Court of First to organising the work of the al- Q(QU-CENG) announced to heat the outer part of the mask Instance, Labour Disputes Set- ternate judges for each court to E the Deputy Prime that a research team of students to a degree higher than 70C. This tlement Committee and the consider and decide requests and Minister and Minister of and faculty members from will reduce the possibility of the Rental Disputes Settlement urgent matters with the formation HForeign Aff airs Sheikh the Department of Mechani- virus remaining alive on the sur- Committee for a period of two of teams supporting all courts to Mohamed bin Abdulrahman cal and Industrial Engineering face of the mask for a relatively weeks starting yesterday, as part serve the litigants. al-Thani received yesterday a has developed designs using 3D long period of time. Filter is not of the precautionary and pre- The statement emphasised the telephone call from Italian Min- printers for medical products covered by autoclaving and must ventive measures taken by the continuation of all services pro- ister of Foreign Aff airs and In- manufactured in QU-CENG be replaced after each use while State to curb the spread of the vided through the external service ternational Co-operation Luigi laboratories and workshops taking all safety and security novel coronavirus (Covid-19). centres according to the previous- Di Maio. During the phone call, to benefit the medical service measures during the change. In a press statement, the SJC ly established dates, and requests they reviewed bilateral relations sector in Qatar. 3D printed protective masks. Mechanical ventilator. Dr Khaled Kamal Naji, dean affi rmed that the judges continue for the registration of urgent cases and co-ordinated eff orts to curb The new designs include a at QU-CENG said: “These de- to work in the consideration of ur- and appeals through the electron- the spread of the coronavirus ventilator used in hospitals as without touching the knob to navirus (Covid-19) using 3D signs support all eff orts to con- gent and time related matters and ic portal of the council or attend- (Covid-19), besides issues of an integral part to provide the reduce the chances of infection. printers. The new masks contain front Covid-19, and to reduce to set new dates for postponed ance at a prior date will continue mutual interest. - QNA necessary treatment for patients The design of the masks fi lters a delicate external electrical wir- its spread in co-ordination with hearings, adding that the Court of to be submitted. with chest diseases, as well as will be done in collaboration ing network covered with a layer other sectors. They are the result Cassation will continue to hold its The statement appealed that the the face mask for medical per- with Qatar University College of of epoxy for two reasons. The of research groups to fi nd solu- sessions on the dates specifi ed for public, in the event of the utmost sonnel and to reduce the chances Medicine. fi rst is to close all pores that ex- tions for the challenges faced by them in advance. necessity of attendance, take urgent of infection. Protective masks are devel- ist in the prints produced by the various sectors in the country The council provides a system and prior appointments through Assistant FM The designs also include door oped for doctors and the com- common type of 3D printers that and provide a qualitative and of service to the public during the the means of communication pro- distinctive addition.” condoles with knobs that help opening doors munity against the novel coro- use ABS plastic and the second suspension of hearings by allocat- vided by the council. - QNA Bangladesh envoy

E the Assistant Foreign Minister and Spokes- Hperson for the Ministry QatarDebate Centre activates remote work of Foreign Aff airs Lolwah bint Rashid AlKhater met the am- s part of the measures to Maarafi said. be displayed on the QD channel. Mohamed Khider, Arabic bassador of Bangladesh Ashud minimise the novel coro- QD has previous experience The National Team that rep- Debate Coach, QD, said: “The Ahmed, in Doha, yesterday. The Anavirus (Covid-19) in with some countries in foreign resents Qatar in the interna- team has continued its training meeting reviewed the latest de- Qatar, QatarDebate Centre (QD) relations, providing training and tional English Debate competi- through distance learning tools, velopments related to the coro- a member of Qatar Foundation implementing plans, whether tions, has continued its training where students attended train- navirus (Covid-19) in Qatar and (QF), has activated remote work workshops or competitions remotely with QD coaches with ing workshops and group dis- the world. to put in force a QF initiative to across the telecommunications the equal enthusiasm, motiva- cussions without any obstacles, During the meeting, HE AlKhat- enhance work and comply with network, she pointed out. tion to learn and full commit- and debates were held among er conveyed Qatar’s condolences standards and recommenda- The English Department at ment. them via Zoom platform for re- to the government and people of tions to ensure the success of far QatarDebate has provided online Also, there are distinctive mote conferencing services.” Bangladesh on the Bangladeshi off work. training workshops to Princess training for the secondary school Currently, QD coaches are citizen who passed away on Satur- “QatarDebate is continuing Sumaya University for Science team Qatar - the development working on arranging a set of day from coronavirus. HE AlKhat- its plans of training workshops and Technology in the King- team - where they are trained on joint debates with other debaters er affi rmed that Qatar is keen on for adjudicators, coaches and dom of Jordan, to introduce the Adjudication of a remote debate gathered Kuwait, Jordan and Qatar. the skills and application of the inside and outside the country. providing high quality healthcare students on-line and eager to English debate programme - the debates. The distance learning op- to all its residents. provide the best methods to British Parliament system - at tarDebate, coach Saad al-Assad platform of dawarat.com that Amina Awartani, English De- portunity provided a chance to The ambassador thanked Qa- enhance the visions and goals the request of the university ad- and Bara al-Ahmar have adju- started in 2019 and designed for bate coach, QD said: “We have think of a set of digital tools that tar for the measures it had taken of Qatar and QF, in addition to ministration and their desire to dicated a debate for Princess teachers in order to use the de- training for Qatari beginners aged could benefi t students such as to preserve the safety of all, af- the ongoing meetings through open an English debate depart- Sumaya University team. bate as an educational tool, and 12-18 years, on the debate strategy, sending, reading substances or fi rming the appreciation of the Teams programme and direct ment. Al-Subaie, will provide Arabic with regard to co-operation with case analysis and argumentation, viewing resources and asking Bangladeshi community in the contact with the employees,” QD ambassador from Kuwait, debate workshops to clarify the QD as a platform for knowledge which started two months ago and interactive questions using the country. - QNA executive director Dr Hayat Fahad al-Subaie and from Qa- idea of co-operating with the of debates. These workshops will is still ongoing remotely.” Edpuzzle platform among other.

The dust-shrouded West Bay skyline yesterday. PICTURE: Jayan Orma Strong winds forecast for today

trong winds are ex- 25 knots in some places dur- and slight to blowing dust pected to range from 19C to pected in some places ing the day before decreas- in some areas occasionally. 29C around the country to- Sduring the daytime ing to 5-15 knots later. Dusty conditions are likely day, with Doha likely to see a today (Monday), the Qatar Off shore, northwesterly off shore along with scat- low of 21C and a high of 28C. Met department has said. winds will blow at 12-22 tered clouds. Meanwhile, Doha and Off shore areas, too, are knots, reaching a high of 28 The Met department other parts of the country likely to see strong winds knots at times. also tweeted yesterday that experienced strong winds, today along with high seas, The sea level, meanwhile, northwesterly winds would dust and low visibility yes- according to the weather may rise to 9ft, the weather aff ect the country today, terday. forecast. report shows. causing a relative drop in The Met department is- The winds will be mainly Moderate daytime tem- temperature compared to sued an advisory on how northwesterly, blowing at perature is expected today the previous days. to stay safe in dusty condi- 10-20 knots and going up to along with some clouds The temperature is ex- tions.

Cancer care outpatient dept 20-year jail term, QR300,000 shifted: HMC fi ne for expat drug dealer

amad Medical Corpo- Doha Criminal sent to strike a “deal” with Upon further search ration (HMC) has an- Court has sen- the suspect, after taking of his belongings and ac- Hnounced that the Outpa- Atenced an expatri- the necessary legal meas- commodation, 11kg of tient Department at the National ate man to 20 years in jail ures, and “buy” some marijuana and canna- Center for Cancer Care and Re- and fi ned him QR300,000 drugs from him. bis were found alongside search (NCCCR) has been relo- after he was convicted of sums of money. cated to the Ambulatory Care illicit drug trading and In addition to the In the court and also Center (ACC) for the safety of all consumption, local Ara- punishment, the during the interrogation, patients. bic daily Arrayah has re- court also ordered the man admitted to keep- “Your care will be provided at ported. his deportation aft er ing the illicit drugs but ACC by the same medical and The case fi le shows that serving the jail term claimed the contraband nursing team that you are used to the man was spotted by belonged to another expa- seeing in NCCCR,” HMC tweet- the authorities concerned The undercover police- triate who was abroad at ed yesterday. “On arrival at the after they received infor- man eventually agreed that time. ACC, you will need to go to the mation that he was using with the convict to ‘buy” The court established Pre-Admission Clinic Area. narcotics and also dealing an amount of marijuana his guilt based on the evi- Turning left from the en- in them at diff erent areas for QR15,000, the report dence as well as the wit- trance, you will take the fi rst of the country. said. ness account of the po- right, then the next right, then Accordingly, further At the designated time licemen. right turn again and this will investigations were con- and place, the suspect In addition to the bring you to the area,” HMC ex- ducted to ensure the valid- was arrested by the police above-mentioned pun- plained. ity of the information. while delivering the con- ishment, the court also or- Directions to the ACC can be Following this, an un- traband and receiving the dered his deportation after found on HMC’s Twitter page. dercover policeman was agreed sum of money. serving the jail term. Gulf Times Monday, March 30, 2020 3 QATAR Remote learning Doha Bank marks Earth Hour

oha Bank has joined millions of entities and becomes priority Dindividuals around the globe in marking Earth Hour 2020 by switching lights off at its headquarters and branches on Saturday. The environ- mental initiative aims at rais- ing awareness about climate for VCUarts Qatar change and promoting col- lective worldwide eff orts to s the education landscape lessons. “They are asking stu- protect the nature. in Qatar adapts to chang- dents to work in diff erent ways Dr R Seetharaman, chief Aing times due to the novel for example, instead of relying executive offi cer, Doha Bank, coronavirus (Covid-19) out- on something that would have said that by taking part in en- break, the dean of a Qatar Foun- been produced in a fabrication vironmental events and ini- dation partner university has lab, they’re asking students to tiatives around the globe, Doha outlined how remote learning is maybe work with diff erent ma- Bank remains committed to its ensuring learning never stops. terials that are at their disposal corporate social responsibil- Amir Berbić, dean of Vir- in their home,” said dean Berbić. ity (CSR) and benefi ting the ginia Commonwealth Univer- Another challenge art stu- society. sity School of the Arts in Qatar dents may face is that their work “Undoubtedly, the envi- (VCUarts Qatar) says there is requires creativity, and this may ronmental cause is one of the “nothing more important we be diffi cult to articulate through primary priorities and re- can do” than ensure education technology. But dean Berbi said: sponsibilities that we endeav- continues amid the Covid-19 VCUarts Qatar dean Amir Berbić. “It just requires us to work in our to dedicate our resources situation. And while he ad- diff erent ways and engaging dif- to serving and advocating at mits online tuition is “a learn- decided that this was what we faculty need this adaptability ferently with technology. Doha Bank. Our celebration ing curve”, he also believes it needed to do.” when it comes to virtual learn- “It’s more of a shift or a change of the Earth Hour event is a is creating new educational Speaking about the interaction ing, explaining: “Studying art in terms of modality rather than conscious attempt to call peo- opportunities and insights. between students and faculty and design, as we do at VCUarts losing creativity. In some ways, it ple’s attention to the urgent “In addition to staying through various forms of dis- Qatar, comes with very specifi c might make our students and our threat against biodiversity and healthy and exercising social tance learning, dean Berbi said challenges because of the stu- faculty more creative, because nature. distancing, the number one pri- this includes ‘virtual’ classes, or dio-based component that is at it further concentrates minds “Therefore, we should join ority right now is to continue professors recording lessons and the core of many of our courses.” and means you need to come up eff orts around the globe to learning,” he said. students then following them. “The work of our students with innovative solutions. How- conserve our ecosystem and “We switched to the re- “We’re using various meth- is very physical and tactile. It’s ever, it still comes with lots of the vital natural resources on mote learning online teaching ods of engaging our students,” he highly experiential, whether that challenges and uncertainty, and our planet. At Doha Bank, we mode several weeks ago, since said. “I think it’s gone well so far is through lectures, conversa- we’re looking to manage that in strive to promote environmen- Qatar directed there should and it’s a big learning curve for all tions, critiques, studio work, or the best way we can.” tal sustainability practices and Doha Bank headquarters with lights switched off during be no on-campus instruc- of us, both for our professors and working in the laboratories. We According to dean Berbić, green policies through adopt- Earth Hour. tion. Prior to the coronavirus our students.” rely on the physical environment VCUarts Qatar students and ing a variety of initiatives, such outbreak, all our departments “Obviously, we would much as a learning space. That means faculty are now discovering new as Al Dana Green Run, ECO- ducing the carbon foot print on accolades, such as the ‘Best already had an academic con- prefer to have physical contact. this is a big challenge for us, but ways of teaching that they may School Programme, and Beach our planet in order to achieve Green Bank 2008 at the In- tinuity plan which we had But this is the situation right it’s one that we are adapting to in not have explored before. “There cleaning,” he said. an ecologically-sound world.” dustry Awards’ from Bankers utilised due to other circum- now. We are trying to adapt various ways.” has been a feeling that it’s not He added: “Environmental It’s worth noting that Doha Middle East, and the ‘Golden stances in the past, such as quickly, and troubleshoot and VCUarts Qatar professors are easy to teach studio-based art conservation is of a paramount Bank’s eco-friendly measures Peacock Global Award for Sus- fl ooding. The transition was adjust.” adjusting course objectives or and design disciplines or courses importance to Doha Bank and and practices were acknowl- tainability’ in 2010, 2011, 2013, immediate as soon as it was Dean Berbić says students and the goals of specifi c projects or remotely,” he added. our CSR objectives include re- edged by multiple awards and 2014 ,2017, and 2018. Majority of parents LuLu Hypermarkets observe Earth Hour favour fee waiver by private schools

ome 7,065 persons took to the daily and urged the inter- ests of all the stakeholders, part in an online survey by vention of the private education including schools and parents. Slocal Arabic daily Arrayah sector at the Ministry of Edu- For instance, they felt schools on whether they thought private cation and Higher Education to should refund the already paid schools should cancel fees for resolve the issue. transportation fees as students the second semester of this year They pointed out that as would not benefi t from this due to the closure of the insti- students will not have full ac- service during the closure. tutions on account of the novel cess to the services of these It was pointed out that both coronavirus (Covid-19) scenar- schools and the educational parents and owners of the pri- io, with around 69% replying in services are limited to remote vate schools should reach a fair the affi rmative. learning only, schools should agreement on this issue to guar- The rest of the participants reduce fees for the second se- antee the continued services of asked for a reduction in the fees. mester of this year. They also such places under the directives Meanwhile, a number of educa- called on the entities con- of the authorities concerned in Lulu Hypermarkets observed Earth Hour on Saturday from 8.30-9.30pm by switching off all external lights in all its branches across Qatar. tion experts and parents spoke cerned to balance the inter- the country. Man jailed Quitting smoking Qatar Airways to extend tier for stealing can boost immune truck tyres system against viral status of loyalty programme Doha Criminal Court has infections: HMC sentenced an expatriate atar Airways’ loyalty with Qcredits by making them with convenient access to their 2000 as a form of appreciation to Aman, in absentia, to one Specialists at Hamad Medical to change their daily routine by programme, Privilege refundable. membership account on the go. Qatar Airways’ loyal passengers, year in jail and ordered his subse- Corporation (HMC)’s Tobacco aff ecting their ability to go to QClub, said it will extend Qatar Airways chief com- For further assistance, off ering them the opportunity quent deportation for being con- Control Centre are advising work, school or the mosque, and or reinstate loyal members’ tier mercial offi cer Simon Talling- members can call the dedi- to earn Qmiles when travelling victed of stealing tyres of a parked smokers to quit the harmful habit, even how they greet each other. status for 12 months, for mem- Smith, said: “At Qatar Airways, cated Privilege Club hotline on on Qatar Airways, oneworld truck in the Al Sailiyah area. saying that all forms of smoking He said while it can be a stressful berships due to expire before we realise that the people trav- +974 4023 0023. airlines, or any of the airlines’ Local Arabic daily Arrayah can reduce the respiratory period for many people, it is January 31, 2021. elling right now are those who Qatar Airways recently partners. reported that the court acquit- system’s ability to fight viral and also an opportunity to quit the Members can retain their are trying to get home to their launched a new commercial Qmiles has since served as ted another expatriate man bacterial infections. harmful habit of smoking, which current tier benefi ts such as families, with the majority of policy to allow all passengers the another “convenient” means of connected to the case. Dr Ahmad al-Mulla, head of can negatively impact a person’s upgrades, shop and pay with business and leisure trips be- fl exibility to alter travel plans payment at the award-winning According to the case fi le, the HMCs Tobacco Control Centre, health, both in the short and long Qmiles, extra baggage, lounge ing postponed or cancelled. up to three days prior to de- Qatar Duty Free outlets, located complainant had discovered that said the centre will continue term. access, and more, for 12 months. As travel restrictions increase, parture for fl ights booked until in both the departure and arrival the tyres of his truck had been to off er support to those Dr Jamal Abdullah, smoking Qatar Airways’ Privilege Club we want to reassure our Privi- September 30, 2020. halls of Hamad International stolen while it was parked in the who want to quit smoking by cessation specialist at HMCs recently announced a tier exten- lege Club members that they This fl exibility enables pas- Airport, and at Oryx Galleria Al Sailiyah area and immediately providing telephone-based Tobacco Control Centre, said sion off er of up to six months to will not lose their hard-earned sengers to change their travel in Doha. reported the matter to the police. consultations and treatment. all forms of smoking weaken its members, but has doubled membership status. plans free of charge by alter- Privilege Club off ers four As he was looking for replace- Dr al-Mulla explained that the respiratory system’s natural this to one year in recognition “As such restrictions are out- ing the dates of their booking membership tiers – Burgundy, ments, he coincidently spotted - and residents seeking support to defence mechanism and make that its members continue to be side of our control as an airline, or exchanging their ticket for a Silver, Gold and Platinum - each identifi ed - the stolen tyres at a shop quit smoking can call 4025 smokers more vulnerable to impacted by travel restrictions we are honouring the loyalty our travel voucher valid for one year. with their own exclusive benefi ts and reported this to the police as well. 4981 or 5080 0959 to book viral infections. and fl ight reductions result- members have shown us by of- The travel voucher will be equal for members to enjoy. Qmiles are Eventually, the police ar- an appointment. He said Dr Abdullah added that smoking ing from the novel coronavirus fering to extend or reinstate their to the value of their unutilised earned when members travel on rested the shop owner who said patients will be called by one is also considered a risk factor (Covid-19). tier membership and benefi ts for ticket – plus an additional 10%, Qatar Airways, oneworld air- he bought the tyres from a man of the centre’s doctors who for many diseases, including Additionally, ‘Gold’ and ‘Plat- 12 months.” excluding statutory taxes. This lines, other airline partners or who used to sell him used tyres will conduct an assessment cardiovascular diseases and chronic inum’ members can now enjoy Additionally, for member policy includes award fl ights. use the services of any of the and rings. The suspect had taken to determine the patient’s obstructive pulmonary disease. their ‘Qcredits’ for longer, as and employee safety and as a More information can be had airline’s 60+ global partners. QR5,000 from the shop owner as level of nicotine dependence. It has been observed in China that they will now remain valid for precautionary measure taken from qatarairways.com/travel- Qmiles are awarded based on the price for these items. From there, the doctor will a large number of reported deaths two years, as long as the tier is by Qatar to limit the spread of withconfi dence. the booking class purchased, Upon further search and in- develop a treatment plan and related to Covid-19 were in people retained. Covid-19, the Privilege Club Qatar Airways’ Privilege Club and can be redeemed for a range vestigation, the police were able may prescribe medication with these chronic diseases. Qcredits for ‘Gold’ and ‘Plati- Service Center located at Oryx recently announced even more of exciting benefi ts and rewards to identity the suspect. He was that can be collected from one Dr Abdullah urged all smokers num’ members can be spent on Galleria Doha will be closed until benefi ts for ‘Silver’, ‘Gold’ and including award fl ights, up- arrested along with an accom- of HMC’s pharmacies using to quit the unhealthy habit upgrades, extra baggage, and further notice. ‘Platinum’ members, with pre- grades or extra baggage on Qatar plice, who was later acquitted for the automated medication to experience the benefits of lounge access. Members are encouraged ferred seating guaranteed for Airways. lack of evidence, the report said. dispensing system. smoking cessation and to boost Following feedback from to download and use the Qa- free for ‘Gold’ or ‘Platinum’ To join passengers may visit The court convicted the fi rst man Dr al-Mulla said the Covid-19 their immunity against viral members, Privilege Club has tar Airways mobile app for any members or at a 25% discount https://www.qatarairways.com/ based on the testimony of the tyre pandemic has forced most people infections. (QNA) also updated its policy to pro- Privilege Club related queries. for ‘Silver’ members. en/Privilege-Club/join-now. shop owner and related evidence. vide more fl exibility to members The app provides members Privilege Club was launched in html Gulf Times 4 Monday, March 30, 2020 QATAR Online Qumra 2020 speeds Ehsan continues supporting older persons during crisis up learning curve for DFI n order to continue empow- ering and supporting older Ipeople and their families By Joey Aguilar during the Covid-19 crisis and Staff Reporter home quarantining phase, the Centre for Elderly Empower- ment and Care (Ehsan) has dapting to the online programme for stressed that it sees its role in Qumra 2020 edition has sped up Doha community-based outreach AFilm Institute’s (DFI) learning curve and support for this particu- and opened a new scope for digital formats to lar age group as a national and expand the reach of its various programmes collective social responsibility, and initiatives in the future, DFI CEO Fatma and will support older persons al-Remaihi has said. and their families in a number “With Qumra 2020, we were able to test of ways. the limits of our digital capabilities when it “Although confronting comes to online learning facilities, collabo- the Covid-19 virus requires a rations and workshops. We have certainly ‘whole of society’ approach learned a lot in a very short amount of time,” and the engagement of well- she told Gulf Times. informed and responsible citi- The annual event, which was initially can- zens and governmental, private celled to mitigate any potential risks associ- and civil society sectors, it is a ated with the novel coronavirus (Covid-19), fact that older persons are the has proceeded with an adapted online men- most vulnerable population torship and support format on its original group who need the most pro- schedule – March 20-25. tection and support. They are Despite the current situation, DFI wit- also the dearest to our hearts nessed a positive impact of the outbreak in — they are our parents, un- organising a much-awaited event, which cles, aunts and grandparents, commenced with 46 selected projects from the older population that Eh- Ehsan Centre executive director Mubarak bin Abdul-Aziz al-Khalifa. 20 countries. san is dedicated to serve and “It (online programme) also reinforced our empower,” the centre said in a campaign titled ‘Their health is z Establish and activate a hel- belief that the universal mediums of art, fi lm DFI CEO Fatma al-Remaihi. statement. precious to us’ through social pline service that receives calls and music transcends limitations of other Studies based on the Chinese media platforms to disseminate from older persons in the com- mass communication, and unites people from the creative spirit alive,” she said. 30 countries for a shared passion of cinema- National Health Commission information and raise aware- munity and their families and discrete communities and disparate geogra- “In addition to the online sessions as part highlighting the power of the human mind indicate that this age group is ness about the virus and its con- provides them with guidance, phies in a common space of visual learning of Qumra 2020, we are currently using our and its ability to rise above personal chal- most at risk and has the high- sequences, and empower older general psycho-social support and understanding,” al-Remaihi said. digital platforms to remind everybody that lenges and provide emerging voices with an est fatality rate of 15% for over- persons with knowledge and during this crisis, and referral “With a blueprint in hand, we are now well we are all in this together, and that we can face opportunity to show the world their point of 80s, particularly since older advice on how to safeguard the when needed. equipped to apply a similar format; addition- and overcome challenges as a global commu- view. people have underlying chronic mental and physical health in z Continue to care for older ally, we are exploring how to best integrate on- nity — particularly when we continue to draw This is truly special,” she said. disease or weaker immune sys- the coming weeks and months. persons residing in the Al-Iwa line learning and workshop platforms within on the creative arts to propel us forward,” al- “The adapted edition of Qumra showed tems, the statement notes. z Reach out to all older per- residential home who do not the Institute’s educational programmes that Remaihi observed. that there are no physical boundaries to the “Steps should be taken to sons who are benefi ciaries of have any other shelter, tak- run year-round to maximise our impact on As a leading Institute in the region dedi- human spirit and its innate drive to create, ensure their well-being, and Ehsan’s services (homecare, ing all necessary precaution- the burgeoning arts and culture community cated to the advancement of cinema and the connect and collaborate.” they themselves must be em- physical therapy and Ehsan ary health measures to protect in the Arab world and beyond,” she stressed. empowerment of underrepresented voices Al-Remaihi lauded Qatar’s Information powered with knowledge and clubs) through the launch of a them and keep them well. Qumra’s three core elements – mentor- from the Arab world and beyond, she said DFI and Communication Technology infrastruc- information about how to pre- centre-wide tele-community z Activate remote daycare pro- ship (centrepiece of the programme), indus- proudly serves its core mission to draw on ture in setting up the sessions, especially the vent and recognise symptoms. outreach service that regularly grammes for older persons who try connections and match-made meetings, fi lm, art and culture in a meaningful way to series of discussions with the speakers, as Community-based organisa- checks in with older persons to are members of Ehsan clubs, work-in-progress (WiP) features and shorts educate and create meaningful change. part of the Qumra programme. tions have a critical role to play assess their overall condition and engage them in using dig- – took place online. About how special and unique is Qumra “In Qatar, we are fortunate to have access during this crisis to support and provide advice and reas- ital modes of communication Such experience, al-Remaihi noted, rein- 2020, al-Remaihi said the Institute’s capac- to state-of-the-art technologies and systems older persons to be well and surance and raise their morale. on which they were previously forced DFI’s awareness that digital platforms ity to adapt an online programme quickly in that support the seamless adaptation of the stay safe,” it added. z Text messages with key trained by Ehsan with the aim are integral to the future of communication these challenging time, as well as maintain the Qumra programme into an online format, al- Accordingly, Ehsan will sup- awareness raising guidance are of occupying the time of older and learning. momentum crucial to the success of emerging lowing us to connect with industry experts port older persons and their also being disseminated to the persons in a way that benefi ts “Particularly in times of physical isolation, fi lmmakers from across the globe, will make and fi lmmakers from across the globe (par- families in the following ways: mobile phones of registered them and keeps them con- we can draw on modern means of communi- this edition memorable for all involved. ticipants in 30 countries) and to let the crea- z Launching an awareness families. nected. cation to engage with one another and keep “We were able to mobilise people across tive process persevere,” she added. Some services stopped at private health facilities

The Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) dermatology and laser clinics, plastic of the preventive and precautionary has issued a memo announcing its surgery clinics and surgical procedures, measures taken by the MoPH to limit decision to stop certain medical except for emergency cases. the spread of Covid-19 and ensure services at all private healthcare In addition, the ministry has asked the safety of patients and healthcare facilities in the country. private healthcare facilities to stop workers, the memo states. According to the memo (dated March services such as diet and slimming The memo has been issued by Noora 28, 2020) published on the MoPH centres, physiotherapy centres and Abdulla Mohamed al-Mulla, acting website, private healthcare facilities complementary medicine of all director, Healthcare Facilities Licensing have been directed to stop providing kinds. and Accreditation Department at the services such as dental clinics, The decision comes in the context MoPH. Sanitising Souq Waqif

Doha Municipality’s Gardens Section, in co-operation with a number of agriculture companies, organised a sanitisation and disinfection campaign at key locations within its jurisdiction. Hotel Park (Sheraton Doha), headquarters of the Ministry of Municipality and Environment, the Shura Council building and Souq Waqif were among the locations covered.

Winter camping waste removed

The Ministry of Municipality and Environment (MME)’s General Cleanliness Department removed waste, debris and other remnants of winter camps from the northern parts of the country. Some 678 tonnes of waste were removed in 33 batches during the cleaning campaign, which was carried out from March 23-27 with 11 hours of work a day, the MME said in a statement. The campaign covered camps on beaches as well as in land camping areas. The MME department had earlier appealed to winter camp owners to maintain the sites’ cleanliness after removing their camps in order to preserve the environment. The camping area before, during and after the clean-up.

Gulf Times 6 Monday, March 30, 2020 REGION/ARAB WORLD US-led coalition forces pull out of base in northern Iraq

DPA ern Iraq that had come under it said in a statement. It also border with Syria, and the support from fewer places with State. A rocket attack on the base ated with strikes on Iraq that Baghdad rocket attack in late December, transferred $1mn of equipment Qayyarah West base. fewer faces,” coalition spokes- in December killed a US civilian killed 25 fighters of the pow- sparking escalation between to the Iraqis. The K1 base is the “This long-planned move man Myles Caggins said in a contractor and wounded several erful militia Hashd al-Shaabi Washington and Iran. third site the coalition troops was co-ordinated with the Iraqi tweet. Since 2017, the K1 Iraqi US service members and Iraqi (Popular Mobilization Forces). he US-led coalition yes- The coalition handed over have left this month. government. The (Iraqi security Airbase has hosted US and other personnel. Another strike near Baghdad terday withdrew from a the K1 Iraqi Air Base in the They already handed over forces) are successful against Is- coalition forces who train Iraqi The United States blamed airport killed top Iranian Gen- Tmilitary base in north- northern province of Kirkuk, Al-Qaim base near the Iraqi lamic State, Coalition troops will security forces to fi ght Islamic Iran for the attack and retali- eral Qassem Soleimani. Oman reports 15 new cases of coronavirus

QNA/Agencies yesterday, expanding lockdown and 3,000 dirhams for violat- Muscat rules as it reported four new ing the curfew. The United Arab deaths from a coronavirus out- Emirates said it has launched a break that continues to spread drive-through coronavirus test- he Omani Ministry of in the region despite drastic ing facility as part of the Gulf Health has registered 15 measures to contain it, Reuters state’s eff orts to fi ght the dis- Tnew coronavirus cases in reported. ease. the country yesterday, bringing The Saudi health ministry said The facility, inaugurated by the tally up to 167 cases. four more foreign residents, in Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Five cases are linked to contact Jeddah and Madinah, had died Mohamed bin Zayed, will pro- with infected patients and eight from the virus, taking the total vide screenings within fi ve min- are related to travel, while two to eight. The kingdom confi rmed utes, using state-of-the-art cases are under epidemiological 96 new infections to raise its equipment and a medical team, investigation, the Ministry of tally to 1,299, the highest among the Abu Dhabi government’s Health said in a statement. Gulf states. media offi ce said. “A new drive- A total of 23 patients with Oman, Kuwait and Bahrain through testing facility for Cov- Palestinian workers make protective face masks to be exported and sold in the local market, amid concerns over the spread of the Covid-19 have recovered so far, reported more cases, taking the id-19 has launched...to off er safe coronavirus disease (Covid-19), in a factory east of Gaza City, yesterday. the ministry added. total in the six Gulf countries to testing procedures,” the offi ce THREE PATIENTS over 3,200, with 15 deaths. said Saturday on Twitter. RECOVER IN KUWAIT Saudi authorities imposed en- According to offi cial state Kuwaiti Minister of Health try and exit bans on Jeddah, after news agency WAM, the facility Sheikh Dr Basel al-Sabah an- doing so for the cities of Riyadh, can serve 600 people a day, with Palestinian govt confi rms six new infections nounced yesterday the recovery Makkah and Madinah last week. priority given to senior citizens, of three additional people from The kingdom late on Saturday pregnant women and those with the novel coronavirus, raising extended indefi nitely its suspen- chronic illnesses. QNA Meanwhile, the number of plans. An offi cial at the state Durum wheat production ac- the country’s total recoveries to sion of international passenger The media offi ce said people Ramallah people who died as a result of grains agency, OAIC, told Reu- counts for more than 50% of 67, QNA reported. fl ights and a bar on workplace should book an appointment in the coronavirus stands at 25. ters additional quotas had been Algeria’s total grain output, and Necessary lab tests and analy- attendance. advance. Tests “for the wider Since the detection of the approved for mills. it imports most of its soft wheat ses have shown the recovery of Saudi Arabia and Kuwait have community for reassurance he Palestinian govern- fi rst Covid-19 case in Morocco, Algeria increased soft wheat needs from France. the three new infections with imposed partial curfews and the only” would cost 370 dirhams ment announced six on March 2, health authorities supplies to mills to 6.3mn quin- BLASTS STRIKE Covid-19, Kuwait News Agency UAE has imposed an overnight ($100), according to government Tnew coronavirus cases, have conducted 1,976 tests on tals in March from 5.8mn quin- LIBYAN CAPITAL (KUNA) quoted the minister as curfew until April 5 under a na- advice on Twitter. bringing the number of total in- suspected cases, of which 1,574 tals the previous month and Artillery blasts shook Libya’s saying. tionwide campaign to sterilise Kuwait and the UAE have also fections to 104. tested negative. 5.7mn quintals in January. capital Tripoli yesterday as The already treated cases will streets and public venues. halted passenger fl ights at main The new cases were reported ALGERIA’S ASSURANCE Durum wheat supplies for fi ghting raged even as the na- be admitted to a rehabilitation UAE Attorney-General Ha- airports. Oman also suspended in the village of Qatanna north- ON FOOD STOCKS mills rose to 2.62mn quintals tion confi rmed fi ve more cases ward before discharging them mad Saif al-Shamsi announced international passenger fl ights. west of occupied Jerusalem, Algeria has enough food in March compared with 1.8mn of the coronavirus for a total of from hospital within a couple of coronavirus-related fi nes, The UAE emirate of Ras Al government spokesman Ibra- to meet its needs for the next quintals in February, the OAIC eight. days’ time, the minister added. including 50,000 dirhams Khaimah said late on Saturday him Melhem said, adding that few months despite a surge in offi cial said. Asked whether The National Centre for Dis- Saudi Arabia halted entry and ($13,000) for non-compliance that hundreds of German tour- the cause of these infections demand since the start of the higher supplies would nega- ease Control said the new cases exit into Jeddah governorate with home quarantine orders ists had been repatriated. were family visits. coronavirus outbreak, offi cials tively aff ect the agency’s stocks were in the northwestern city Five of the new patients are said, Reuters reported. and prompt it to import greater of Misrata, held by the Govern- members of a single family, in- Algeria usually produces suf- quantities, he said: “There is ment of National Accord (GNA) cluding a 12-year-old girl. fi cient fruit and vegetables, but a strategic stock to cover the which is at war with the Libyan A total of 18 Palestinians re- imports a large proportion of needs for several months.” National Army (LNA) of east- covered from the virus while other staples, mainly grains. State and private mills have ern-based commander Khalifa one patient, an 80-year-old After the announcement of increased working hours and Haftar. Iran death toll rises to 2,640 woman, has died, the Palestin- its fi rst coronavirus cases, Al- are now operating at full capac- In chaos and without cen- ian Health Ministry said. gerians rushed to buy food, in- ity. tral authority since the 2011, Morocco’s Ministry of cluding semolina and fl our, in “We are working around the Western-backed uprising that Reuters treatment is discovered...The new measures that Health confi rmed 12 new Cov- large quantities, fearing lower clock. We have been prompted ousted strongman Muammar Dubai have been imposed are for everyone’s benefi t...Our id-19 cases, bringing the total supplies. That caused short- to open new sale centres,” the Gaddafi , Libya is poorly placed main priority is the safety and the health of our number to 402, QNA reported. ages. owner and manager of a private to withstand any epidemic. people,” Rouhani said during a televised meeting. Over the past 24 hours, the “Our food stocks cover de- mill told Reuters. The United Nations has urged ran’s coronavirus death toll has risen to 2,640, The government has banned inter-city travel number of confi rmed corona- mand for months,” Trade Min- Algeria’s cereals output in warring parties to stop fi ghting a health ministry offi cial said yesterday, as the after warning of a potential surge in coronavirus virus cases increased by 66, ister Kamel Rezig told reporters 2019 exceeded the 6mn tonnes so the overstretched health sys- IMiddle East’s worst-hit country grapples with cases because many Iranians defi ed calls to cancel jumping from 336 to 402. when asked about government it harvested the previous year. tem can prepare. the fast-spreading outbreak. travel plans for the Persian New Year holidays that “In the past 24 hours we had 123 deaths and began on March 20. 2,901 people have been infected, bringing the total The authorities told Iranians to stay at home, number of infected people to 38,309,” Alireza Va- while schools, universities, cultural, religious and habzadeh, an adviser to the health minister, said in sports centres have been temporarily closed. a tweet. “12,391 people infected from the virus have To stem the spread of the virus in crowded jails, Yemen rebels claim attacks on Saudi ‘targets’ recovered.” Iran’s judiciary yesterday extended furloughs for Health ministry spokesman Kianush Jahanpur 100,000 prisoners. told state TV that 3,467 of those infected were in On March 17, Iran said it had freed about 85,000 DPA inside the Saudi territory, escalating a blockade” of Yemen. Earlier yesterday, “critical condition”. people from jail temporarily, including political Sana’a/Riyadh years-long confl ict. Saudi Arabia said its air force had inter- “I am happy to announce that also 12,391 people prisoners. “Sensitive targets were hit in (the Saudi cepted and destroyed two ballistic mis- who had been infected across the country have re- “The second wave of (the) temporary release of capital) Riyadh,” he added in a press state- siles fired late on Saturday by the Houthis covered,” Jahanpur said. “The average age of those prisoners had already started and their (100,000 emen’s Houthi rebels yesterday said ment without giving details. in the direction of Riyadh and Jizan. who have died of the disease is 69.” prisoners) furloughs have been extended until April they had unleashed a series of at- He added that the Houthis also struck Shrapnel from one missile injured two ROUHANI’S CALL TO 19,” judiciary spokesman Gholamhossein Esmaili Ytacks against “sensitive targets” in “economic and military targets” in the civilians in Riyadh, the city’s civil defence ADAPT NEW WAY OF LIFE was reported as saying by state television. Saudi Arabia, which is leading a military Saudi regions of Jizan, Najran and Asir service said, according to the Saudi state President Hassan Rouhani urged Iranians to Iran said it had 189,500 people in prison, ac- campaign against the rebel group. near the border with Yemen. news agency SPA. adapt to their new way of life, which was likely to cording to a report submitted by the UN Special Military spokesman for the rebels, Yahya The spokesman vowed more “pain- The attack was the second by the continue for some time. Rapporteur on human rights in Iran to the Human Sare, said the group had carried out a major ful” attacks against Saudi Arabia unless Houthis reported this week against Saudi “We must prepare to live with the virus until a Rights Council in January. operation by ballistic missiles and drones it halts what he called its “aggression and Arabia.

Lebanese applaud virus-battling health workers Belly dancer keeps Tunisians entertained Iraq pilgrims returning Cheering erupted from balconies and windows in Lebanon yes- Reuters stay at home as she prepared to from Syria test positive terday evening, as the country’s Tunis perform. Her message appeared citizens celebrated their “heroic” to get through where the pleas medical workers battling the of politicians did not, drawing Reuters after visiting a shrine there, coronavirus pandemic. unisians stuck inside immediate interest from tens of Baghdad according to the governor of The initiative spread online with through a coronavi- thousands of people and a cas- Kerbala. the Arabic hashtag “a cheer for Trus lockdown have in cade of humorous — and some- “Everyone who recently the heroes”, shared by public fig- large numbers been watching a times bawdy — comments. ome pilgrims returning returned back from Syria has ures including journalists, actors spangly-costumed actress belly Sfar then pledged a nightly to Iraq from Syria have been quarantined to make sure and the Arab pop star Ragheb dancing in her living room with “corona dance”. Stested positive for coro- he’s not infected with corona- Alama. In one Beirut neighbour- the message: “Stay at home and When she failed to perform navirus, raising concern that virus,” the governor, Nusayif hood, a woman draped in a I’ll dance for you”. one night, thousands of mes- such pilgrim travel could be a al-Khitabi, said in a video Lebanese flag sang the na- Clad in a dress, with a gauzy sages went up from fans beg- source for a larger spread of the posted on Facebook. tional anthem as her neighbours veil over her legs, Nermine Sfar ging her to return to their phone disease around the country, a Khitabi said the central gov- drummed on pots and pans, an shakes her hips and twirls to Actress Nermine Sfar applies make-up before live streaming her screens. senior Iraqi offi cial and health ernment should have included AFP journalist said. Arabic pop music in front of an dance on social media from her home, to entertain viewers stuck As her popularity grew, a offi cials said yesterday. Syria among countries where Elsewhere, Lebanese played incongruous brown sofa. inside through a coronavirus lockdown, in Tunis. male dancer, Rochdi Belgas- So far, Iraq has recorded Iraq banned entry to travellers. drums and blew vuvuzelas, shar- Some 130,000 people smi, started to perform his own 547 coronavirus cases and 42 Health offi cials said there ing videos of the street perform- watched one video live on her light entertainment hit of the of followers. On the fi rst day home routines and attracting deaths, most of them in the had been four other cases of ances online. Facebook page. pandemic. she performed two weeks ago, tens of thousands of viewers. past week. coronavirus in the city of Na- Similar initiatives have gained In a country that imposed a Tunisia has confi rmed 278 before the lockdown was an- “I know it is diffi cult to stay Health authorities said jaf among pilgrims who visited attention from Italy to France but general lockdown, closed cafes cases and eight deaths. nounced, she donned a surgical at home and be confi ned in there were at least 11 cases of Damascus last week. they have remained rare in the and restaurants and stopped Sfar was already popular on mask and gloves over her danc- one’s place, but we can try to coronavirus in the holy city of Syria has reported nine Arab world. all international travel, her so- social media before the out- ing costume, and told everyone create a warm atmosphere in Kerbala among pilgrims who cases of the illness, with one cial media show has proved the break, with tens of thousands to follow government advice to our homes,” Sfar told Reuters. returned last week from Syria death. Gulf Times Monday, March 30, 2020 7 AFRICA

Nigeria tightens off shore oil rules after vessel workers get coronavirus

Reuters Covid-19 respiratory disease. coronavirus cases and one death essential duties would be allowed shore of the city of Lagos. virus incubation period. safety is their top priority. Yenagoa/Lagos The restrictions came after the from the virus. to travel to off shore or remote lo- The NPA said that health offi - Nigeria has shut international Industry sources said that a Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) The country is keen to protect cations. cials accessed the vessel by heli- airports, closed all land borders number of oil companies had al- said that six workers on board an oil production, which provides “Non-essential staff currently copter. and imposed curbs on cargo ves- ready shifted from 14-day rota- igeria’s petroleum regu- off shore rig support vessel tested 90% of much-needed foreign at off shore/remote locations According to Reuters ship sels allowed to dock at its ports in tions to 28 days. lator has ordered oil and positive for coronavirus late last exchange. should be withdrawn with im- tracking, the vessel left the Onne an eff ort to contain the outbreak. Some are also implementing Ngas companies to reduce week. A coronavirus case on an off - mediate eff ect,” he said in a state- Port Complex on the Bonny River Rivers State, in which Port a 14-day quarantine for workers their off shore workforce and Health experts are concerned shore rig could spread quickly ment. Estuary on March 15, and in Feb- Harcourt serves as the hub of before they leave for rigs. move to 28-day staff rotations about the potential for a wide- among workers and have a po- The NPA said the six positive ruary visited the off shore termi- Nigeria’s oil industry, closed its Oil prices have fallen by two as part of measures to curb the spread outbreak of the disease in tentially devastating impact on tests that the Nigeria Centre for nals for Bonga and Bonny Light own borders to human traffi c this thirds since the start of the year, spread of the coronavirus, ac- Africa’s most populous country, production. Disease Control reported on a crude oil, two of Nigeria’s pri- week. which has forced Nigeria to cut cording to a circular seen by Reu- which has about 200mn inhabit- Sarki Auwalu, director of the ship late last week were all aboard mary export grades. Oil and gas companies oper- its budget and prompted oil com- ters. ants. Department of Petroleum Re- the Siem Marlin, a support ship The oil terminal visits were ating in Nigeria have previously panies to reduce their spending The coronavirus causes the Nigeria has 97 confi rmed sources, said that only staff on for oil rigs that was sitting off - well outside the 14-day corona- said that workers’ health and plans.

Five killed in Nigeria Mali votes despite fears ambush

AFP Kano over Covid-19, security ive people were killed when religious extrem- AFP Fists attacked their vehicles Bamako outside Nigeria’s northeastern city of Maiduguri, militia leaders said yesterday, adding more were alians voted in a long- feared dead. delayed parliamen- Gunmen from the Islamic Mtary election yesterday, State West Africa Province barely a day after the country (ISWAP) stopped the vehicles recorded its fi rst coronavirus around 1730 GMT on Saturday death and with the leading op- near Auno village, 20km from position fi gure kidnapped and Maiduguri, and attacked drivers believed to be in the hands of re- and passengers with machetes as ligious extremists. they fl ed into the bush. There were security fears “We have so far recovered fi ve about the vote to elect new dead bodies and 14 people with members of parliament to the severe injuries all from machete 147-seat National Assembly, cuts,” militia leader Babakura even before the war-torn West Kolo told AFP. African country recorded its He said the death toll might fi rst coronavirus infection on rise since more bodies could still Wednesday. be in the bush. Late on Saturday, just hours “The terrorists killed several before polls opened at 0800 people in a machete-hacking GMT yesterday, the country’s spree, following them into the fi rst coronavirus death was an- bush where bodies are still scat- nounced – a 71-year-old man tered,” he said. recently returned from France. A team of police, militia- Mali’s number of confi rmed men and local hunters combed coronavirus infections has risen through the area yesterday, to 20. The coronavirus causes Men wash their hands at a evacuating the dead and the in- the Covid-19 disease. polling station in Bamako before jured. “I came to vote, but I’m proceeding to take part in the The rescue operation was afraid,” said Souleymane Diallo, voting process. hampered, however, by the a 34-year-old teacher voting in team’s refusal to go deeper into the capital Bamako. “As you can Right: Voters greet each other the bush for fear of attack from see there’s nobody here. Maybe without touching their hands. the religious extremists. because it’s the morning, but it’s “We can’t go deep inside the also not surprising because of bush which is littered with more the situation.” bodies because the insurgents There are fears that the im- are very much around,” another poverished state of some 19mn militia Ibrahim Liman said. people – where large swathes of “We don’t have the kind of territory lie outside state con- weapons they have to give them trol – is particularly exposed to a a good fi ght,” he said. Covid-19 outbreak. ISWAP, which split from Boko Prime Minister Boubou Cisse Haram in 2016, used to focus on admitted that turnout was not attacking the military but has very large so far. increasingly targeted civilians. “I appeal to the voters: re- Auno lies on the 120km high- member to respect the barrier way linking Maiduguri in Borno gestures and use the sanitary state and Damaturu in neigh- measures,” he said as he voted, bouring Yobe state. adding that turnout was “suffi - The highway has been tar- ciently satisfactory”. geted by militants who attack An offi cial turnout fi gure troops and abduct motorists at was not immediately available bogus checkpoints. shortly before polling stations The spike in attacks followed closed at 1800 GMT, but AFP re- the creation of “super camps” porters and observers suggested by the Nigerian military in the it was low. northeast which saw small army At midday, observers from a camps collapsed into big bases group of civil society associa- to stave off religious extremist tions had put it at 7.5%. raids. It is the country’s fi rst parlia- Last month, ISWAP militants mentary poll since 2013, when A woman proceeds to cast her ballot at a polling station in Bamako. Malian journalists interview Prime Minister Cisse after he cast his ballot at a polling station in Bamako. killed 30 people in an overnight President Ibrahim Boubacar raid on Auno along the highway Keita’s Rally for Mali party won of one polling station was “ab- position leader Soumaila Cisse, President Keita expressed in- and Democracy (URD) on Satur- hope that the election will lead leading to Maiduguri where trav- a substantial majority. ducted by armed men”. who was kidnapped on Wednes- dignation over the incident and day urged its supporters to turn to reforms that might drag Mali ellers had stopped for the night Parliamentary elections were Very few people showed up to day while campaigning in the vowed that “no eff ort will be out in even greater numbers in out of its cycle of violence. due to a night-time curfew. meant to take place again in late vote in the city in the morning, centre of the country. spared in securing (Cisse’s) re- response to the leader’s ordeal. In particular, the hope is that Last week the militants killed 2018 following Keita’s re-elec- but attendance had somewhat Cisse, 70, who has been run- lease”. However, several other oppo- the new parliament will im- more than 70 soldiers in an tion, but the poll was postponed increased by midday, an AFP re- ner-up in three presidential The government’s election sition parties called for the vote plement reforms from a peace ambush in a village in nearby several times, largely due to se- porter observed. elections, and six members of spokesman, Amini Belko Maiga, to be postponed due to corona- agreement brokered between Konduga district, according curity concerns. The AFP reporter said that his team were abducted in an at- has admitted that voting condi- virus fears. the Bamako government and to military sources, although Some 200,000 people dis- while the distance between peo- tack, in which one person died. tions were not ideal. The country has been plagued several armed groups, in Algiers the religious extremist group placed by the near-daily vio- ple in queues was too close, vot- It is “likely” he was being held “It’s true that we cannot say by confl ict since 2012, when in 2015. claimed it killed more than 100 lence in Mali’s centre and north ers did wash their hands before by religious extremists loyal to that everything is perfect, but rebels captured much of the Implementation has been soldiers in the attack. will not be able to vote, a gov- entering polling stations. Fulani preacher Amadou Koufa, we’re doing the maximum,” he country’s arid north. painfully slow, although this The decade-long confl ict has ernment offi cial has said. Polls closed for yesterday’s who leads a branch of the Al said, referring to the threat of Religious extremists overtook year saw the Malian army deploy left 36,000 people dead and dis- The security ministry said fi rst round vote at 1800 GMT, Qaeda-aligned GSIM active in coronavirus. the rebels in the north and swept units made up of both former placed 1.8mn from their homes that out of close to 12,500 poll- with fi rst results not expected the Sahel, according to a secu- He added that hand-washing into the country’s centre, ac- rebels and regulars, one the pro- in northeast Nigeria. ing stations, 274 were not able to for several days. rity source and a local offi cial. kits had been distributed in the celerating a confl ict which has visions of the Algiers agreement. The violence has spread to open. A second round is scheduled Cisse and his entourage were countryside, while in Bamako, killed thousands of soldiers and The pact also provides for the neighbouring Niger, Chad and According to sources close to for April 19. probably now “far from where authorities made masks and civilians. decentralisation of governance Cameroon, prompting the crea- the governorate of the north- Casting a shadow over the they were abducted”, the secu- hand sanitisers available. Despite the numerous dif- in Mali, a demand of some of the tion of a regional military coali- ern city of Timbuktu, the head vote is the fate of veteran op- rity source told AFP. Cisse’s Union for the Republic fi culties, experts nonetheless rebel group. tion to fi ght the insurgents.

South African, Kenyan police accused of violence to enforce curbs President says Benin lacks money to impose a coronavirus lockdown

Politicians and lawyers in South Africa and Kenya demanded Elsewhere, in Kenya, where a night-time curfew has been in President Patrice Talon has announced that Benin could not But questions have been asked about the lack of protective action yesterday following reports that police in both place since Friday, videos were widely shared on social media enforce public confinement because it lacks the “means of measures in the West African country where off icially just six countries had used violence to enforce anti-coronavirus showing police using tear gas to disperse people at a ferry rich countries” who are fighting the coronavirus pandemic. cases of novel coronavirus have been recorded. restrictions. crossing point near the coastal city of Mombasa. “Rich countries are putting up huge amounts of money, The coronavirus causes the Covid-19 disease. In South Africa, John Steenhuisen, the leader of the main In response, the country’s law society said it would file a and some are even resorting to barely disguised monetary A student demonstration at Cotonou’s Abomey-Calvi opposition Democratic Alliance, called for parliament to court challenge today against the curfew, which it said was solutions, or printing notes to prevent what would otherwise university last week calling for classes to be halted ended intervene to protect citizens rights after the country declared unconstitutional and had “been abused by the police”. be unavoidable socio-economic chaos,” he said in a televised with one protester dead. a three-week lockdown. On Saturday, 20 Kenyan human rights organisations – address. Schools, churches and mosques were ordered to close on “Already this week there have been numerous reports of including the local chapter of Amnesty International – said “Benin (...) does not have such means,” Talon said. “If we take March 22-23. brutality at the hands of South African National Defence Force that they were “horrified by the excessive use of police force”. measures which starve everybody, they will quickly end up Neighbouring Togo has reported 28 cases and Ghana 141. soldiers,” John Steenhuisen said yesterday. “This is absolutely Many African countries have instituted restrictions to being defied and violated.” Both have imposed confinement or restrictions on unacceptable and deeply worrying.” contain the spread of the coronavirus, which can lead to the The president did announce that from today a “cordon movement. He said he had requested the creation of a parliamentary potentially deadly Covid-19 respiratory disease. sanitaire” around eight major urban areas, including the Across Africa 4,267 cases have been declared with 134 deaths, committee to “ensure that civil liberties are protected” during World Health Organisation data put the number of confirmed business capital Cotonou where public transport will be although testing has been limited in many countries where the lockdown which came into force on Thursday. Covid-19 cases in Africa at over 4,000, with nearly 130 deaths. halted. large numbers of people live in poverty. Gulf Times 8 Monday, March 30, 2020 AMERICAS Partisan divide returns as Congress mulls next steps

By Sarah N Lynch and President Donald Trump Kevin McCarthy told the Fox “We have to pass another bill McCarthy’s comments illus- and abortion provider Planned Republican Senator Rick Chris Sanders, Reuters had on Friday signed into law a News programme Sunday Morn- that goes to meeting the need trated the continuing tensions Parenthood among other initia- Scott criticized the latest round Washington $2.2tn aid package — the largest ing Futures, noting he wants to more substantially than we between the two parties in Con- tives he accused Pelosi of want- of stimulus legislation even on record — to help cope with see the fi rst three packages take have. We have other issues that gress, raising questions about ing to pursue. though he voted for it, saying the economic downturn inflict- eff ect fi rst. we have to deal with in the bill just how quickly they could come The latest rescue package in- it will hurt economic recovery resh partisan divisions fl ared ed by the coronavirus pandemic Pelosi, the top Democrat in in terms of personal protective together to pass a fourth legisla- cluded a $500bn fund to help because “we’ve created incen- yesterday on the next steps after the House and Senate put Congress, told CNN’s State of equipment and OSHA (Occu- tive package. hard-hit industries and a com- tive for somebody to stay home Ffor the US Congress in deal- aside partisan differences to the Union program that the three pational Safety and Health Ad- “What concerns me is when I parable amount for direct pay- rather than go to work because ing with the coronavirus crisis, pass the measure nearly unani- stimulus packages signed into ministration) rules that protect listen to Nancy Pelosi talk about a ments of up to $3,000 apiece to they make more money being at with the top House of Representa- mously. law were merely a “down pay- workers,” Pelosi said. fourth package now. It’s because millions of US families. home.” tives Republican casting doubt It was the third legislative ment.” “We have to do more on family she did not get in the things she It also provided $350bn for Governors in numerous states on the need for more economic package passed by lawmakers to “We have to do more,” Pelosi medical leave. We have to be able really wanted,” McCarthy said, small-business loans, $250bn for have closed non-essential busi- stimulus legislation while House address the mounting crisis. said, adding that the existing bills to make people who get tested mentioning election law and en- expanded unemployment aid and nesses and taken other steps Speaker Nancy Pelosi signalled she “I’m not sure we need a fourth do not provide enough as “every also have their visit to the doctor vironmental policy changes and at least $100bn for hospitals and to try to slow the spread of the plans to move forward with it. package,” House Minority Leader single day, the need grows.” covered,” Pelosi added. funding for women’s healthcare related health systems. pathogen.

Helping hand Fauci fears 200,000 deaths in

US alone Roosevelt McCray off ers masks for free at Venice Beach, California, on Saturday. Reuters A shortage of ventilators in “We haven’t yet been ap- Washington several major cities worsened proved for ventilators out of as the US death count crossed the national stockpile. I con- 2,100 on Saturday, more than tinue to press that case and S deaths from coro- double the level from two I hope we will be cut in for a Canada army not needed right now, says Trudeau navirus could reach days ago. slice of what they have left,” U200,000 with mil- The United States has now Edwards said. “It is the one lions of cases, the govern- recorded more than 123,000 thing that really keeps me up Reuters lice on the border with the United terday that the incidence of new tory illness to board domestic fl ights ment’s top infectious diseases cases of Covid-19, the disease at night.” Ottawa States to ensure returning travel- cases appeared to be stabilizing. or inter-city passenger trains. expert warned yesterday as caused by the virus, the most Doctors are also especially lers know they must go into isola- “Don’t give up,” he exhorted Trudeau’s government has long New York, New Orleans and of any country in the world. concerned about a short- tion. people who might be fed up with urged Canadians feeling ill to stay other major cities warned New York City will need age of ventilators, breathing anada is not planning for the Trudeau was non-commit- staying indoors. at home, but he told reporters at his they would soon run out of hundreds more ventilators in machines needed by many moment to use troops to help tal when asked about deploying Trudeau also said Ottawa daily press conference outside his medical supplies. a few days and more masks, of those suff ering from the Ccombat a spreading corona- troops to help Quebec or other would spend more than C$200mn residence that Transport Canada Dr Anthony Fauci, director gowns and other supplies by pneumonia-like respiratory virus outbreak, although the option provinces. (US$145mn) on additional help had now formalized travel rules as of the National Institute of April 5, Mayor Bill de Blasio ailment. remains on the table, Prime Minister “This situation is evolving con- for vulnerable people such as the Covid-19 cases steadily rise. Allergy and Infectious Dis- told CNN yesterday. Dr Arabia Mollette, an Justin Trudeau said yesterday. stantly and we are prepared for all homeless, women and children The domestic travel restrictions eases, estimated in an inter- New Orleans will run out emergency medicine phy- All 10 provinces have declared kinds of diff erent situations. Of fl eeing violence and counselling will take eff ect today at noon EDT. view with CNN that the pan- of ventilators around April 4 sician at Brookdale and St states of emergency and ordered course Canadians know very well services for the young. Asked how screening would be demic could cause between and offi cials in Louisiana still Barnabas Hospital in the people to stay home. that members of the armed forces Trudeau was speaking outside diff erent, Trudeau said the gov- 100,000 and 200,000 deaths do not know whether they Bronx, has started praying The number of cases rose to are always ready to help when they his residence, where he has been ernment was giving new tools to in the United States. will receive any ventilators during the cab ride to work in 5,866 from 5,655 on Saturday while are needed,” he said. staying since his wife Sophie test- airlines and railways. Since 2010, the fl u has killed from the national stockpile, the morning before she en- the death toll is 63, up from 61, “For the time being no one has ed positive for coronavirus. Transport Canada later said air- between 12,000 and 61,000 the governor said. ters what she describes as a medical offi cials said. made specifi c requests about this Sophie, who announced on Sat- line and rail company staff would Americans a year, according Louisiana has tried to or- “medical warzone.” The province of Quebec — where and there are no plans now to carry urday she had received the all clear, ask health questions of passengers to the US Centers for Disease der 12,000 ventilators from At the end of her shift, 8.5mn people are spread across a out operations in Canada with the has moved to the prime minister’s and look for visible symptoms. Control and Prevention. commercial vendors and has which often runs much longer landmass the size of western Eu- armed forces,” he told a daily brief- offi cial summer residence across Even enhanced screening of- The 1918-19 fl u pandemic received 192, Governor John than the scheduled 12 hours, rope — said on Saturday it was ing, later adding that “we are not the river in Quebec with the cou- fers “no guarantee” that sick peo- killed 675,000 in the United Bel Edwards said on CBS Face she sometimes cannot hold restricting access to eight remote closing the door to any scenario”. ple’s three children, Trudeau said. ple will not board, as they can hide States, according to the CDC. the Nation. back tears. regions with often patchy access to Almost half the people with Earlier on Saturday, Canada said symptoms, Howard Njoo, Canada’s “We’re trying to keep our healthcare. coronavirus are in Quebec, where it will not allow anyone displaying deputy chief public health offi cer, heads above water without Quebec is also stationing po- Premier Francois Legault said yes- symptoms of the Covid-19 respira- said in a separate press conference. drowning,” Mollette said. “We are scared. We’re try- ing to fi ght for everyone else’s life, but we also fi ght for our lives as well.” Urgent medical supplies being airlift ed to JFK On Saturday, the CDC warned residents of New By Steve Holland, Reuters coronavirus patients. private partnership to ensure that mas- The first plane, funded by the York, Connecticut and New Washington The airlift is a product of a sive amounts of masks, gear and other Federal Emergency Management Jersey against non-essential team led by White House senior PPE will be brought to the United States Agency, carried 130,000 N-95 masks; domestic travel for 14 days. adviser Jared Kushner, which immediately to better equip our health nearly 1.8mn surgical masks and Tests to track the disease’s A planeload of desperately needed formed ‘Project Airbridge’, a partner- care workers on the front lines and to gowns, more than 10.3mn gloves; progress also remain in short medical supplies arrived yesterday ship between large US healthcare better serve the American people,” and more than 70,000 thermom- supply, despite repeated in New York from China, the first in distributors such as McKesson Corp, Kushner said in a statement. eters. White House promises that a series of flights over the next 30 Cardinal, Owens & Minor, Medline Trump, accused of initially playing FEMA will distribute most of the they would be widely avail- days organised by the White House and Henry Schein Inc, and the fed- down the threat from the virus, has supplies to New York, New Jersey, able. to help fight the coronavirus, a White eral government. been searching for supplies to fill and Connecticut with the rest going Since the virus fi rst ap- House off icial said. The goal is to expedite the arrival the mounting need for equipment to nursing homes in the area and peared in the United States A commercial carrier landed at of critical medical supplies pur- to protect healthcare workers caring other high-risk areas across the in late January, President John F Kennedy airport carry- chased by the companies over the for Covid-19 patients. country. Donald Trump has vacillated ing gloves, gowns and masks for next 30 days, using planes instead of Medical workers across the country The flight from Shanghai, China, between playing down the distribution in New York, New Jersey ships to reduce the shipping time. are clamouring for equipment to pro- was the first of about 20 flights to risks of infection and urging and Connecticut, three hard-hit “At President Trump’s direction we tect themselves from infection as they arrive between now and early April, A man wears a face mask while he visits Times Square as rain Americans to take steps to states battling to care for a crush of formed an unprecedented public- deal with the flood of virus victims. the off icial said. falls in New York City on Saturday. slow its spread.

Biden, Sanders go virtual as virus freezes US Democratic race

By Michael Mathes, AFP old underdog, have paused all in- While the Democrats are re- The events are largely sombre, March 10, when they both can- “He doesn’t have Coronavirus, his message on the coronavirus Washington person campaigning. duced to basement livestream- like a CNN virtual town hall on celled election night rallies in but he does have a camera now. crisis, largely avoiding talk about Live town halls are no more. ing, Trump, also deprived of Friday on Covid-19, at which the Ohio on advice of local offi cials So buckle up!” she tweeted. the race to the November election. Several states have postponed hosting his raucous rallies, is mo- former vice president answered keen to avoid spreading the virus. Biden has expressed optimism After Sanders lost all three pri- hree weeks ago, Joe Biden their primaries on coronavirus nopolising the spotlight. questions from voters in virus Sanders, whose campaign about the technology’s eff ective- maries on March 17, his campaign and rival Bernie Sanders fears — New York was the lat- The daily, nationally televised hotspots like New York. has been more attuned to young ness, but he admitted frustration announced he was returning Twere hosting rallies that est to do so on Saturday — and White House coronavirus task But the former vice president Americans and their constant at not being able to take more di- home to Vermont to “assess” his attracted thousands. another debate between the two force briefi ngs often stretch on also held a “virtual happy hour” glances at social media, was rect action against coronavirus. campaign. The pair often visited two candidates is unlikely. for more than 90 minutes, with on Wednesday in a bid to attract quicker out of the online gate. “Like anybody who cares about For Sabato, the senator’s states a day in their fi erce and The dozens of reporters who Trump sometimes taking up an young voters. Biden — despite tightening his this, I’m chomping at the bit,” he chances are slim to none. spirited battle for votes. followed the two candidates for entire hour at the podium. No matter what the format, grip on the nomination by easily said in a Wednesday webcast. “He’s too far behind and when Today, they appear online months have peeled away. The Republican incumbent’s Trump’s rivals are gaining little winning many primaries over the “But I am where I am,” a re- the remaining states actually get as lonely candidates hunkered Even the Democratic National handling of the crisis has earned national attention. last month — practically disap- signed Biden added. “And I hope to vote, Biden is clearly favoured down in their homes, forced off Convention set for mid-July, mixed reviews, but his job ap- “For the time being, there is peared from the frontline cam- I’m able to get my message across in most of them,” he said. the trail and into campaign rein- when the party offi cially nomi- proval rating has ticked up — and no real way for Biden or Sanders paign for days, prompting con- as we go forward.” But with a swirling health cri- vention mode as the intensifying nates their candidate to chal- he is front and centre every day. to break through,” University of spiracy theories about his health Sanders of course is a mem- sis creating an unprecedented coronavirus pandemic upends lenge President Donald Trump in Desperate to stay relevant, Virginia professor Larry Sabato, and whereabouts. ber of the US Senate, where he delay in the primary face-off , the Democratic presidential pri- November, is at risk. Biden and Sanders are partici- an expert on US politics, told His communications direc- debated and ultimately voted for nothing is defi nitive. maries along with every other “We’re doing a virtual cam- pating in multiple webcasts, in- AFP. “The pandemic is the only tor Kate Bedingfi eld assailed the the $2tn economic rescue pack- “What actually matters is the aspect of American life. paign, if you like,” Sanders had cluding roundtables with their story that matters.” “tinfoil hat crowd,” explaining age that became law on Friday. course of the economy and the Biden, the 77-year-old front- said on Thursday on National respective health advisor on the The Biden and Sanders cam- that Team Biden was busy build- For days, the self-proclaimed pandemic,” Sabato said. “Both runner, and Sanders, the 78-year- Public Radio. latest coronavirus developments. paigns were radically altered on ing a TV studio in his basement. “democratic socialist” has focused are shaky right now.” Gulf Times Monday, March 30, 2020 9 ASIA

Bangladesh Calls grow for Indonesia curbs extends ban on fl ights until April 7 as coronavirus toll increases IANS Dhaka Reuters A regulation is Jakarta being prepared in Indonesia so regions he Civil Aviation Author- can limit movement ity of Bangladesh (CAAB) octors, politicians and to stop the spread of Thas extended ban on all human rights com- the disease, which domestic fl ights and almost all Dmissioners are calling has killed 114 people international fl ights to April 7 on Indonesia’s government in the country as of amid a shutdown to stop the to enact tighter movement Sunday with 1,285 spread of the coronavirus. restrictions as the death toll confi rmed cases CAAB spokesman Moham- from coronavirus rose yester- ed Sohel Kamruzzaman told day in the world’s fourth most He said the association bdnews24.com that they have populous country, which has would support whatever ap- extended the ban by a week. resisted lockdowns. proach is taken by Widodo, Cargo fl ights will operate A government minister in who has encouraged social normally, he added. the country of 260mn said on distancing but questioned Bangladesh and most other Friday that a regulation was whether Indonesians have countries have already put un- being prepared so regions can the culture or discipline for precedented travel curbs to limit movement to stop the lockdowns. battle the pandemic. spread of the disease, which That has marked Indonesia Bangladesh has suspended has killed 114 people in In- out from Southeast Asian coun- public transport and closed of- donesia as of yesterday, with tries that have enacted restric- fi ces for 10 days until April 4 to 1,285 confi rmed cases. tions, such as the Philippines, keep people at home as part of But he did not say when the Malaysia and Thailand. eff orts to stem the outbreak. legislation would be ready or China, where the coronavirus Schools and other educational how far it would go. originated, placed some 500mn institutions are closed until April 9. A hashtag that translates as people under restrictions at one Biman Bangladesh Airlines #LockdownOrDie was trending point. India has ordered a total on Friday said its last fl ights to on social media at the weekend, lockdown of its more than 1.3bn the UK, which was not under while human rights groups and people. the purview of a ban on arrivals medical professionals all joined Indonesia’s National Com- from Europe, will leave Dhaka on calls for rapid action. mission on Human Rights, a Tuesday and return the following A spokesman for President government body, called for a day, reports bdnews24. Joko Widodo did not respond regional quarantine on areas Besides Europe, Bangladesh immediately to a request for that have been categorised as suspended air connectivity with comment on the demands for “red zones.” India, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bah- movement restrictions. The University of Indone- Red Cross personnel wearing protective suits spray disinfectant on the road to prevent the spread of the coronavirus disease (Covid -19) in rain, Kuwait, the UAE, Turkey, “There are a lot of people sia’s Faculty of Medicine called Jakarta yesterday. Malaysia, Oman and Singapore who have called on the central in a letter for more “local lock- on March 21. government to put in place a downs”. Arsul Sani, vice chair- One major concern is whether end of the Muslim fasting month entertainment spots. The city The eastern province of Papua Now, some fl ights to and from China lockdown policy, especially in man of the upper house of par- the virus will spread during the of Ramadan in May. of Tegal, which like Jakarta is on closed airports, sea ports and were still operating, offi cials said. epicentres,” said Halik Malik, a liament, said it was ready to “mudik” – when millions of In- The Indonesian capital Jakarta the densely populated island of land borders on Thursday, but Bangladesh has so far reported spokesman of the Indonesian support “regional quarantine” donesians traditionally leave cit- ordered a state of emergency on Java, said it would impose some was ordered to reopen them by eight coronavirus cases with fi ve Doctors Association. measures. ies for their hometowns at the March 20, closing schools and restrictions from Monday. the central government. deaths. Curfew in Coronavirus fears spark Tourist hub 6 Lanka districts to Thailand prison riot devastated as continue AFP indefi nitely Bangkok coronavirus ozens of prisoners broke furniture and torched IANS Dbuildings during a riot in Colombo a Thai jail yesterday sparked by hits travel fears of a coronavirus outbreak in the facility. Reuters Alcazar Show is not planning curfew currently in force During the violence some Pattaya, Thailand on laying off its staff at the mo- in Sri Lanka’s Colombo, convicts escaped from the Bur- ment, but the foreseeable future AGampaha, Kalutura, iram prison where more than seems bleak. Puttalam, Kandy and Jaff na 2,000 are held, the justice min- eaches are deserted, go-go Thailand depends on tour- districts would continue until istry said. Seven have been bars stand empty and cab- ism for around 12% of its GDP, further notice due to the rising arrested. Barets have shut their doors but in Pattaya, nearly the entire number of coronavirus cases Local media showed footage of in Thailand’s tourist haven of economy runs on visitors. in the country, the President’s black smoke billowing from the Pattaya, as business has ground The resort town saw over Media Division (PMD) said prison’s multiple blocks in the to a standstill after worldwide 15mn visitors in 2018, accord- yesterday. country’s northeast, and a Cor- travel restrictions because of the ing to the 2019 Chonburi Pro- In all other districts across the rections Department offi cial said coronavirus pandemic. vincial Statistical Report, which country, the curfew will be lifted drones were deployed to investi- For one of the world’s most was already a 20% drop from the at 6am today and will be re-im- gate what weapons the prisoners famed – some might say infa- previous year. posed at 2pm, the Daily Mirror were using. mous – tourism hotspots, the “I would say that this is the newspaper said citing the PMD “There was a group of pris- economic devastation is near- worse that has ever hit Pattaya. as saying. oners trying to escape and were total and business owners say And, during the past two to Meanwhile, Atulogama in Ka- creating chaos... which included haven’t seen anything like it for three weeks, so much businesses lutara district and Akurana in burning down some facilities four decades. has already folded, has already Kandy have been declared com- inside,” said Narat Sawetana, Buriram prison wardens arrest prisoners during a riot that was sparked by rumours of a coronavirus “Our organisation has went bankrupt, closed down due pletely isolated areas. director general, Corrections outbreak in Buriram province yesterday. halted business 100%. Pat- to the coronavirus,” said Roy Fu No one will be allowed to enter Department. taya is a tourist city, we rely Wanlong, a business owner in or leave from these two villages, He added later that six prison- rumours of a virus outbreak. suage prisoners “after some country have caught the highly mostly on them. The whole Pattaya. the PMD said. ers had been injured in the me- “The fact is that none of the rumours were spread” about contagious virus. city is aff ected by the virus,” The city in recent years has Travelling to and from all dis- lee by broken glass. More than prisoners in Buriram were in- a Covid-19 outbreak, Major In a bid to prevent outbreaks Alcazar Show executive Pawin been trying to shed its asso- tricts is completely prohibited 1,500 prisoners had to be evacu- fected – they only started this General Akkaradej Pimonsri in jails, authorities have banned Phettrakul said. ciation with sex tourism that except for the purpose of provid- ated before the rioting could be rumour to fi nd some support- said. visitors and are quarantining new In normal times, the theatre started in the 1970s when it ing essential services. stopped. ers,” the minister said, adding “The situation is under inmates for 14 days. – which features high-kick- became a rest and relaxation Those who violate the meas- Justice Minister Somsak that the cafeteria and visiting control,” he added. Similar panic over the coro- ing dancers wearing elaborate spot for US soldiers during the ures introduced with the aim of Thepsutin confi rmed that a areas were among the facilities Thailand has recorded 1,388 navirus sparked a prison riot feather headdresses and se- Vietnam War. continuing essential services will group of inmates sentenced torched. cases of the coronavirus, in the Colombian capital of quined dresses – sees over a The town has promoted fam- severely be dealt with according to life had started “agitat- Mental health workers including seven deaths. Bogota last Sunday that killed thousand tourists daily, but now ily-friendly entertainment and to the law, the PMD said. ing” other prisoners with were later deployed to as- At least two prisoners in the 23 inmates. there are zero. boat tours in the city. Since the sole purpose of these measures is to ensure the well-being of the people of this country in the wake of the Cov- id-19 pandemic, the govern- ment has requested the public Cambodia reports one Vietnam’s top hospital locked down amid virus fears to strictly follow the guidelines in a responsible manner, it DPA ister Vu Duc Dam has ordered added. new Covid-19 case Hanoi the city to mobilise all available Sri Lanka has been under forces to contain the outbreak, the nationwide curfew since Reuters have recovered since January, state media said yesterday. March 20. Phnom Penh the ministry said. ietnam has locked down On March 25, Vietnamese of- On Saturday, Sri Lanka report- Cambodia’s Foreign Aff airs one of its leading hospi- fi cials announced they would ed its fi rst coronavirus death, a Ministry said on Friday it cancel Vtals and main treatment test 4,000 staff and 1,000 pa- 60-year-old man who was kept ambodia reported one visas on arrival for foreign na- centres for Covid-19 after the tients in Bach Mai Hospital af- under critical care at the Nation- new case of the corona- tionals for one month, eff ective nation’s biggest cluster of cases ter three Covid-19 cases were al Infectious Disease Hospital on Cvirus yesterday, bringing midnight of March 30, to curb was linked to the facility, the linked to the facility. the outskirts of Colombo. tally to 103 as the country pre- the spread of the coronavirus. government said. Since then, the number of The Health Ministry said that pares to tighten entry require- Foreign nationals wishing to Hanoi’s Bach Mai Hospital, confi rmed cases in the cluster presently 113 patients were con- ments for foreign nationals to travel to Cambodia must ob- which is home to the capital’s has been steadily increasing. fi rmed with the virus in Sri Lanka try to curb the spread of the tain a prior visa abroad and they centre for treating tropical dis- As of yesterday, Vietnam has after fi ve patients tested positive virus. must have medical certifi cate eases, has been offi cially isolated. reported 179 cases of Covid-19, on Saturday. The new case is a 30-year- “certifying that he/she has not As of yesterday morning, 16 the respiratory disease caused by So far, nine patients had been old woman who worked in tested positive” with the virus, virus cases have been linked to the new coronavirus. discharged after fully recovering a karaoke club in Cambo- the ministry said. the facility, with both patients There have been no deaths re- from the illness. dia’s northwestern Banteay In addition, they must show and staff among those infect- ported so far, and three patients A total of 199 people remained Meanchey province, the Min- proof of medical insurance with ed, according to a government in Hanoi currently in critical under observation in designated istry of Health said in a state- coverage of at least $50,000, the statement. condition are showing signs of A woman walks in a shopping mall which has closed due to the hospitals across the country. ment. A total of 21 patients ministry said. Vietnam’s Deputy Prime Min- improvement. coronavirus disease (Covid-19) outbreak in Ho Chi Minh yesterday. Gulf Times 10 Monday, March 30, 2020 ASIA/AUSTRALASIA

North Korea fi res two short-range ‘ballistic missiles’ into sea

AFP of Staff said the North fired the other launches this month -- all personal relationship between fi rmed cases and 30,000 dead capabilities more than a year af- In the past the North has fi red Seoul two projectiles, presumed to be of which landed in the Sea of Ja- the two leaders would not be worldwide. ter a summit between Kim and missiles capable of reaching the ballistic missiles, from the port pan - to “long-range artillery” enough to foster broader rela- There has also been wide- Trump broke down in Hanoi. entire US mainland and has car- city of Wonsan into the Sea of Ja- drills. It last week fi red what tions. Trump “explained his plan spread speculation that the virus Negotiations have since been ried out six nuclear tests, the orth Korea fi red what ap- pan, also known as the East Sea. Seoul said were two short-range to propel the relations between has reached the isolated nation, deadlocked over sanctions relief most recent of them estimated to peared to be two short- “Such military action by North ballistic missiles, describing the two countries... and ex- and health experts have warned and what the North would be be up to 16 times more powerful Nrange ballistic missiles Korea is an extremely inappro- them as a new “tactical guided pressed his intent to render co- that it could devastate the coun- willing to give up in return, de- than the Hiroshima blast. North off its east coast yesterday, the priate act when the entire world weapon”. North Korean state operation in the anti-epidemic try given its weak medical infra- spite a high-profi le June meet- Korea is under multiple sets of fourth such launch this month as is having diffi culties due to the media announced the follow- work,” she said in a statement structure and widespread mal- ing in the Demilitarized Zone United Nations, US and other the world battles the coronavirus Covid-19 outbreak,” they added ing day that the country’s leader published by the Korean Central nutrition. that divides the Korean penin- sanctions over its weapons pro- outbreak. in a statement. Kim Jong-un had received a let- News Agency (KCNA). North Yesterday’s launch was in- sula. Pyongyang set a unilateral grammes. The string of weapons drills Tokyo’s defence ministry said ter from US President Donald Korea is one of the few remain- tended to show the country was deadline for Washington to off er Heightened tensions in 2017 come as a prolonged hiatus in dis- the projectiles fell short of Japa- Trump detailing a plan to develop ing countries in the world yet to running normally during the fresh concessions by the end of were followed by two years of armament talks with the United nese waters and the country’s ties - a move later confi rmed by a report a case of novel coronavirus pandemic, said Kim Dong-yub, 2019, and in late December Kim nuclear diplomacy between States drags on, and despite re- exclusive economic zone. The White House offi cial. infection. a researcher at the Seoul-based declared his country no longer Pyongyang and Washington, in- cent overtures from Washington nuclear-armed North has yet to The report cited Kim’s pow- But the outbreak has turned Institute for Far Eastern Studies. considered itself bound by mora- cluding three meetings between off ering help to contain the pan- issue a statement on Sunday’s erful sister Kim Yo-jong, who into a major international crisis, Analysts say the North has been toriums on nuclear and intercon- Kim and Trump, but little tangi- demic. South Korea’s Joint Chiefs missiles but attributed its three warned that the apparently good with more than 640,000 con- continuing to refi ne its weapons tinental ballistic missile tests. ble progress was made.

Malaysia China defends arrests scores for fl outing against second curbs

Reuters wave of virus Kuala Lumpur alaysia this week ar- Reuters „ New daily cases down to 45, all rested hundreds of Wuhan Mpeople for violating but one from overseas restrictions aimed at stem- ming the spread of corona- growing number of im- „ Epicentre of Wuhan reported just virus, a senior minister said ported coronavirus cases one new case in 10 days People wearing face masks ride along a street in Wuhan, in China’s central Hubei province yesterday. yesterday, amid a spike in the Ain China, where the epi- number of deaths linked to demic originated in December, „ Flights from Hubei resume, more the outbreak. risked fanning a second wave of The death toll rose from 27 infections when domestic trans- than 260 trains enter Wuhan to 34 within a 24-hour pe- missions had “basically been riod, the biggest daily rise so stopped”, a senior health offi cial a young doctor reprimanded for marked the fourth consecutive far, while the number of re- said yesterday. “spreading rumours” when he day that Hubei recorded no new ported cases was up to 2,470, China, where the disease fi rst tried to raise the alarm. confi rmed cases. The sole case of the highest in Southeast Asia. emerged in the central city of But the world’s most popu- domestically transmitted coro- Malaysia has closed schools Wuhan, had an accumulated total lous country has since won praise navirus was recorded in Henan and non-essential businesses of 693 cases entering from over- from the World Health Organisa- province, bordering Hubei. and imposed restrictions on seas, which meant “the possibil- tion for its eff orts to lock down With traffi c restrictions in the travel and movement until ity of a new round of infections aff ected areas and isolate pa- province lifted, Wuhan is also April 14 to try to contain the remains relatively big”, Mi Feng, tients. gradually reopening borders and spread. spokesman for the National In the last seven days, China restarting some local transporta- Defence minister Ismail Health Commission (NHC), said. has reported 313 imported cases tion services. “It’s much better Sabri Yaakob told reporters Nearly a quarter of those came of coronavirus but only six con- now,” a man, who gave his sur- 649 people were detained from arrivals in Beijing. fi rmed cases of domestic trans- name as Hu, told Reuters as he on Saturday, while 73 people “Beijing, the capital, still bears mission, NHC’s data showed. ventured out to buy groceries in have plead guilty to off ences the brunt of the risks,” said Xu There were 45 new coronavirus Wuhan. such as gathering in groups, Hejian, spokesman for the Bei- cases reported in the mainland All airports in Hubei resumed obstructing public offi cials, jing government, told reporters. on Saturday, down from 54 on some domestic fl ights on Sun- and breaking through police “There’s no reason to lay back the previous day, with all but day, with the exception of Wu- blockades. and relax yet. It’s not a time when one involving travellers from han, which will open to domestic This was in addition to we can say everything is going overseas. fl ights on April 8. Flights from 614 people arrested since the well.” Airlines have been ordered to Hubei to Beijing remain sus- movement curbs were im- Most of those imported cases sharply cut international fl ights pended. posed on March 18. “Some have involved Chinese return- from yesterday. And restric- A train arrived in Wuhan on A medical worker wearing a hazmat suit gets a swab sample on a man to check if he has coronavirus at a people gave the excuse that ing home from abroad. A total tions on foreigners entering the Saturday for the fi rst time since health clinic in Wuhan. they were just going out to of 3,300 people have now died country went into eff ect on Sat- the city was placed in lockdown buy food,” Ismail said. in mainland China, with a re- urday. Five more people died on two months ago. Restrictions done on an application approval offi cial, said yesterday. On a cold count that a number of malls in “But they were caught out- ported 81,439 infections. China Saturday, all of them in Wuhan, have also been eased on people basis. More than 7,000 have re- and rainy Sunday, Wuhan streets Wuhan, as well as the Chu River side up to four times a day, to was widely accused of a delayed the capital of Hubei province. It looking to return to the capital, turned to Beijing from Hubei by and metro trains were still largely and Han Street shopping belt, the point at which police rec- response when suspected cases has reported only one new case although the procedure still ap- charted trains or private cars, empty. The Hubei government would be allowed to resume op- ognised their faces... clearly, fi rst emerged in December, with in the last 10 days. Saturday pears much more vigorous as it’s Mao Jun, a Beijing government said on its offi cial WeChat ac- erations today. they were not being genuine.”

Snowfall in Japan Australia asks people to isolate more, virus spread slows

Reuters Public gatherings limited to two people; measures will be soon worked out. Earlier Melbourne yesterday, Morrison said that an addi- People over 70 advised to stay home, self-isolate; tional A$1.1bn ($680mn) will be spent on Virus cases rise to 3,978; related deaths at 16 telemedicine care options, domestic vio- ustralians were asked yesterday lence support and mental health services to further isolate themselves from breaching it would carry fi nes, which has we are detecting a signifi cant majority aimed at supporting “the most vulner- Athe public to keep the coronavirus been the case with previous gathering of the cases in Australia,” Murphy said. able” Australians. from spreading even as authorities said rules in most states. Two-thirds of the cases have been traced That spending comes atop earlier an- the rate of daily infections has halved in There were 3,978 confi rmed cases in to contacts with people returning from nounced measures, which equalled to recent days. Government offi cials said Australia as of late yesterday, an increase overseas, but community transmissions about 10% of Australia’s annual gross that public gatherings must be restricted of 331 over a 24-hour period, according to have been rising, especially in the most domestic product, to help the economy to two people and Australians should stay the health ministry. Sixteen deaths were populous New South Wales (NSW) and weather the turmoil caused by the pan- inside unless shopping for essentials, ex- attributable to the virus. Victoria states, where more than half of demic, which started in China and has ercising, going to work or medical care. Neighbouring New Zealand saw its Australia’s 25.5mn people live. spread to over 200 countries. Those over 70 should self-isolate fi rst death related to the coronavirus on “We have to stop the thing that’s wor- A recession in Australia would be the themselves. “Anyone who doesn’t need Sunday, with cases rising to 514 con- rying us most, which is community country’s fi rst in nearly three decades, to be out of their home should be in the fi rmed infections. transmission, that is transmission with- when about 40% of the population home,” Chief Medical Offi cer Brendan The daily rate of the spread of the coro- out known links to a known case,” Mur- wasn’t even born. “This is part of the hi- Murphy said. “This is radical.” navirus has halved in recent days to about phy said. bernation strategy of ensuring we keep Prime Minister Scott Morrison said it 13%-15%, health offi cials said, adding Morrison said that there will be a people connected with their businesses is now up to the states and territories to that social distancing measures have moratorium on evictions of people from and with their jobs, so on the other side of determine how the two-people gather- helped to slow the spread. their rentals in the next six months on this, Australia can bounce back stronger,” ing limit will be enforced and whether “We feel reasonably confi dent that the basis of “fi nancial stress” and other Morrison said. Passengers to leave Australia after days stuck on cruise ship

AFP board four planes in the Western Austral- while any unwell passengers would receive most 4,000 cases and 16 deaths. Cruise Perth, Australia ian capital, Perth, on Sunday evening medical treatment in Australia before be- ships are responsible for nearly 500 cases bound for Frankfurt. “We are fl ying them ing repatriated. “It is important that Aus- of Covid-19 and at least fi ve deaths in the back home. These fl ights will be operated tralia does the right thing about those who country. undreds of cruise ship passengers via Phuket in Thailand,” she said. have fallen into our care,” he said. A group of 98 New Zealand pas- were due to board fl ights for Ger- An Australian Border Force offi cial A WA Health spokeswoman said 12 sengers from the Vasco da Gama cruise Hmany yesterday, after spending told AFP the passengers - mostly German passengers had been diagnosed with the ship were sent home on a charter fl ight days stranded at sea off the West Austral- citizens, but also some French and Swiss novel coronavirus, with at least nine of from Perth early yesterday. The remain- ian coast in a stand-off with authorities. nationals - were due to disembark the them already transferred to hospitals in ing passengers - almost 800 Austral- The Artania docked in the port city of Artania Sunday afternoon and would be Perth. Some 500 crew members are set to ians and a handful of other nationalities Fremantle on Friday after an earlier ban transported directly to the airport. They remain on board the ship, which authori- - are scheduled to disembark tomorrow, was reversed amid a spike in Covid-19 were expected to undergo health checks ties have urged to sail home at the earliest the Australian Border Force offi cial said. People wearing face masks amid concerns over the spread cases onboard that saw three passengers before being allowed to catch the char- opportunity. It was one of three ships in- They will be split between Perth hotels of Covid-19 coronavirus wait to cross the landmark Shibuya taken onshore to intensive care wards. ter fl ights. Prime Minister Scott Morri- itially refused entry to Australia this week and Rottnest Island, a former Aboriginal crossing as snow falls in Tokyo yesterday. A spokeswoman for Germany’s Condor son said the group would be “fl ying home amid fears over the spread of coronavirus prison site and modern-day tourist des- Airlines told AFP about 800 people would courtesy of the German government”, in the country, which has recorded al- tination, to complete their quarantine. Gulf Times Monday, March 30, 2020 11

BRITAIN/IRELAND Survivor of Spanish fl u dies from coronavirus aged 108

Guardian News and Media before the Titanic sank and three how bad that was.” during the Great Depression to He had been volunteering in virus on Thursday, a day after it when we were in primary school |London years before the start of World She and most of her family in fi nd work, had generally been in A&E departments in the Mid- claimed the life of her father, Su- until we last spoke two weeks War I. their home in Crewe became in- good health until recently.“She lands to help the NHS cope with dhir Sharma, 61, a Heathrow im- ago, you gave me nothing but It was also seven years before fected with the Spanish fl u, in- never understood how she got so the virus. migration offi cer. love, support and a tummy ache 108-year-old woman the Spanish fl u pandemic, which cluding her father, who collapsed old. I think it was the hard work “He wanted to be deployed Pooja Sharma worked at East- with all the laughter.” and survivor of the 1918 infected 500mn worldwide, and in the street, she recalled. that kept her going. That and where he would be most use- bourne district general hospital It is unclear whether she saw ASpanish fl u is thought to killed her sister. They all survived apart good genes.” ful in the crisis,” said his cousin, in East Sussex. her father before contracting the have become the oldest victim of The coronavirus pandemic from her 12-month-old baby She had four children, 11 the British-Sudanese journalist Lara Stacey Young, a nurse in virus. Colleagues of Pooja’s fa- coronavirus in the UK. had prompted Hilda to reminisce sister.“Grandma said she re- grandchildren and 14 great- Zeinab Badawi. the area, paid tribute to her on ther said he had health problems Hilda Churchill died in a Sal- about the Spanish fl u, accord- membered a small box being put grandchildren. A total of 1,228 patients have Facebook. She wrote: “So many and had not been on duty at Hea- ford care home on Saturday, ing to her grandson, Anthony in a carriage,” her grandson said. Other recent coronavirus vic- died after testing positive for people will be devastated, she throw since early January. hours after testing positive for Churchill. He added: “She was saying tims to be named include Adil El coronavirus in the UK, it was an- was such a lovely soul.” Nick Jariwalla, the director Covid-19 and just eight days be- Speaking to the Manchester how amazing it is that something Tayar, 63, the fi rst working NHS nounced, up from 1,019 the day Amarjit Aujla, a friend from of Border Force Heathrow, said: fore her 109th birthday. Evening News, he said: “As I was you can’t see can be so devastat- surgeon to die from the disease. before. childhood, said she was devastat- “Sudhir was a very well-respect- She is the oldest victim of the telling her about this coronavi- ing.” He died on Wednesday at West It has also emerged that a ed by the news. She wrote: “Her ed, kind and experienced offi cer. virus to be named in the UK. rus she started talking about the He said his grandmother, a Middlesex University Hospital in 33-year-old hospital pharma- laughter was contagious and her He will be greatly missed by eve- She was born in 1911, the year Spanish fl u and she remembered seamstress who moved to Salford London, his family said. cist, Pooja Sharma, died from the random calls made my day. From ryone.” Gove appears to blame China for lack of virus testing

Guardian News and Media they would get a test. London He said: “It’s certainly the case that the Germans have had success in testing. The acceleration here in ichael Gove has appeared the UK is signifi cant. If one looks to lay the blame for the at, and this is not the way to look at MUK’s lack of mass testing it, but if one looks at a league table on China, raising the prospect of then the UK is rising up it. increased diplomatic tension be- “We’ve managed to test sig- tween the two countries. nifi cantly more of our citizens as a Some of China’s reports on percentage than some other coun- the virus were unclear about the tries but frankly the most impor- “scale, nature and infectiousness” tant thing is not to look backwards of the disease, the cabinet minister but to look forwards and to do eve- told the BBC. rything that we can to increase the Asked on BBC One’s Andrew number of tests.” Marr show why Britain did not The UK lockdown was expected have suffi cient testing, despite to continue for a “signifi cant pe- the fi rst case in China being riod”, Gove suggested in another known about in December, Gove interview, and he said he was un- said: “We’ve been increasing the able to give a fi xed date on when it number of tests over the course of would end. A homeless person is seen lying at the entrance of a restaurant in Dublin, Ireland, yesterday as the spread of the coronavirus disease continues. the last month. The expected date of the peak of “It was the case … (that) the fi rst the disease was also unknown, he case of coronavirus in China was said. established in December of last Speaking to the Sophy Ridge year, but it was also the case that on Sunday show on Sky News, he some of the reporting from China said: “As a result of the social dis- was not clear about the scale, the tancing measures the government nature, the infectiousness of this.” has implemented, we hope we can The Mail on Sunday reported reduce the rate of infection, but Britons warned to expect that senior Downing Street offi - at this stage we just need to make cials and ministers expect a “reck- sure everyone observes those oning” with China over misinfor- rules.” mation in relation to the outbreak. Dame Donna Kinnair, the chief It also claimed there was anger executive of the Royal College over perceived attempts by China of Nursing, told the same pro- months of virus measures to exploit the crisis for economic gramme that up to 20% of health gain. workers were out of the workforce AFP have squashed the top of that (in- to hopefully adjust some of the Prime Minister Boris Johnson that “things will get worse before Gove announced that the UK because they were self-isolating, London fection) curve, which is brilliant,” social distancing measures and is among more than 19,500 peo- they get better”. had reached its initial target of and testing was needed as soon as she told the government’s daily gradually get us all back to nor- ple who have tested positive for “The more we all follow the testing 10,000 people a day for possible. news conference. mal,” Harries said. Covid-19. rules, the fewer lives will be coronavirus. She said: “I believe (testing) ife in locked-down Britain “But we must not then sud- Britain has been on lockdown He is currently holed up in his lost and the sooner life can The aim is to raise the rate to should have happened sooner but may not return to normal denly revert to our normal way for a week, with non-essential flat above his Downing Street return to normal,” the prime 25,000 a day, but he did not give a we are where we are and we need Lfor six months or longer of living — that would be quite shops and services closed and office, but officials say he has minister wrote. But he added: timeline. it now. as it battles the coronavirus dangerous. If we stop then, all of people told to stay at home ex- mild symptoms and remains “We will not hesitate to go fur- Asked why there was still no “So nurses are every day carrying outbreak, a top health offi cial our eff orts would be wasted and cept for daily exercise, to get “fully in charge”. Professor Neil ther if that is what the scien- fi xed date for the rollout of mass out services to patients or care and warned yesterday, as the death we could potentially see a second groceries or help vulnerable Ferguson of Imperial College tific and medical advice tells us testing, he said only that the gov- treatment to patients and they will toll reached more than 1,200. peak.” people. London, one of the epidemiolo- we must do.” ernment was setting the NHS be less than one metre away, so they Deputy chief medical offi cer She said measures to con- The measure was introduced gists advising the government, Harries also warned that the Nightingale fi eld hospital to free particularly need to know whether Jenny Harries said it would take tain the virus would be reviewed amid fears the virus was spread- told the Sunday Times he be- death toll would continue to rise up the capacity of the equivalent the person they are dealing with, two or three weeks to assess the every three weeks, “probably ing more rapidly than expected. lieved the lockdown could last until the lockdown started to of 50 hospitals. whether they themselves, have been impact of the current rules for over the next six months” or even New fi gures yesterday revealed until “the end of May, maybe have an eff ect. It was put to Gove that Germa- infected with Covid-19 so that they people to stay at home wherever longer — but stressed that did that 1,228 people with coronavi- even early June”. “We actually anticipate that ny was carrying out half a million can take the appropriate time off but possible to limit the spread of not necessarily mean a full lock- rus have now died in Britain — an In a leafl et being sent to more our numbers will get worse over tests a week while NHS workers also protect themselves and their Covid-19. down for that long. increase of 209 on the previous than 30mn British households in the next week, possibly two,” she in the UK still did not know when families.” “If we are successful, we will “Gradually we will be able 24 hours. the coming days, Johnson warned said, but should then fall. Actor McAvoy donates Police fear backlash over crackdown

£275,000 for NHS staff outside their home without Daily Mail London a good reason or gathering in Guardian News and Media this. The number of very generous adequate equipment at infl ated groups of more than two. London donations from everyone doubled prices from private companies. Those who ignore the restric- our target within three days.” “That is why we raised the olice in the capital have be- tions will be hit with a £60 fi ne McAvoy’s donation was capital ourselves and hope to gun handing out £60 fi nes initially, but repeat off enders he actor James McAvoy “mindblowing”, he said, and help government distribute these Pafter being given unprec- could see the payments soar. has donated £275,000 to would mean an order for 75,000 supplies in best possible way,” he edented powers to enforce the Neath and Port Talbot Council Ta crowdfunding campaign masks and 75,000 visors can be said. coronavirus lockdown. in Wales was criticised after de- set up by a group of doctors to placed immediately rather than The doctors say in their appeal: But as forces launched the ploying a drone on a high street raise money to buy vital protec- having to wait for enough dona- “Unfortunately current hospital crackdown, police chiefs admit- to tell people to go home. tive equipment for NHS staff tions to fi lter through. supplies are not suffi cient and ted they risked losing public sup- It comes a day after Derbyshire treating coronavirus. “This is a global catastrophic while we are reassured the gov- port by being seen as ‘too heavy- Police was described as ‘Orwelli- The Scottish star of the X-Men event and an extremely tough time ernment is doing everything it handed’. an’ after using a drone to spy on movies and Atonement gave the for governments across world, can, healthcare workers on the National Police Chiefs’ couples strolling in the hills and money to support the eff orts no diff erent from ours. There is a frontline are risking themselves Council chairman Martin shame ramblers for walking their of concerned NHS medics who worldwide shortage of PPE (that’s) daily without adequate protec- Hewitt defended the use of dogs in an isolated beauty spot in launched a page on Thursday ap- likely to go on for months,” he said. tion to care for sick patients. roadblocks, helicopters and po- the Peak District. pealing for money to buy personal “The government is doing all it can Healthcare workers on the lice drones to catch people out On Friday, Scotland Yard fi ned protective equipment (PPE) such but the NHS needs all the help it frontline without PPE is the of their homes as he insisted: a bakery owner £80 for criminal as masks, visors and gloves be- can get. equivalent of going to war with- “This is a national emergency, damage after putting chalk lines cause they feel they are “going to We are also competing with out armour and protection.” it’s not a national holiday and outside to keep her customers war without armour and protec- the commercial market who are McAvoy said on Instagram: it’s important that people un- safe from coronavirus. tion”. trying to sell the same PPE for “Money donated today will save derstand that.” The offi cer told the woman The campaign has raised more extraordinary prices.” lives … Help us to help the gov- The senior offi cer was forced that she had graffi tied the pave- than £440,000, surpassing He said the situation was ur- ernment to help the NHS.” to deny accusations that offi c- ment and if police failed to pun- the initial target of £200,000, gent and that time was of the The Guardian revealed on ers are behaving as though they ish crimes like these there would which has now been extended to essence, noting that one of the Friday that the department of are in a police state amid a grow- be ‘anarchy’. £500,000. doctors behind the crowdfund- health had rejected high-level ing row over the use of the new Elsewhere, a police offi cer One of the medics behind ing campaign has tested positive medical advice about providing powers to curb the spread of the in Perth, Scotland, was fi lmed the project, Dr Salaj Masand, for coronavirus. NHS staff with certain protective virus. shouting at a man claiming to said: “We are overwhelmed and The campaign was working equipment during an infl uenza Under the new public health have coronavirus ‘you are killing speechless at the trust and faith with the government, which had pandemic because stockpiling it A man travels in a horse drawn cart on the A1, as the spread of the regulations, offi cers can issue people’ and threatened him with people have put into us to deliver been inundated with off ers of in- would be too expensive. coronavirus continues, in Gateshead, Britain, yesterday. fi nes or arrest anyone caught arrest if he didn’t go home. Gulf Times 12 Monday, March 30, 2020 EUROPE International crisis boosts Germany’s centre-right

AFP Merkel’s Christian Democratic headed manner have reassured made a television appeal to the ed positive for the coronavirus. economy from the virus fallout. – a feat no survey has pointed to Berlin Union (CDU) which as recently an anxious nation. nation to urge citizens to take the Her own tests have come back His rival Armin Laschet, who since June 2018. as last month was riven by inter- Confi dence in her right-left social distancing measures seri- negative, and the chancellor is is backed by popular health min- Their boost comes partly at the nal turmoil and debate over who coalition government has also ously. running the nation by video link ister Spahn, meanwhile is hold- expense of the ecologist Greens, ngela Merkel’s long- would be the party’s chancellor been bolstered by Germany’s The broadcast, watched by in the meantime. ing near daily press conferences who had been riding high in re- struggling conservatives candidate when Merkel bows out coronavirus statistics. millions, was the fi rst time dur- The unprecedented societal as the state premier of Germany’s cent months but now face a shift Ahave rebounded in the in 2021. Although the number of cases ing her 14 years in power that and economic shocks triggered worst-hit North Rhine-West- in voter priorities as the fi ght polls thanks to the government’s “Merkel is back,” the NTV continues to climb, reaching Merkel directly addressed the by the pandemic could shake up phalia region. against the pandemic outweighs handling of the coronavirus crisis broadcaster said in an online over 52,000 at the weekend, the nation outside her usual New the race to succeed Merkel. Merkel’s centre-left jun- concern about climate change. and widespread faith in the out- editorial, noting that the veteran country has a lower death toll Year’s speech. The CDU’s planned April 25 ior coalition partner the Social But the biggest loser so far ap- going German chancellor’s abil- politician had reasserted control than European neighbours. Known for her low-key life- congress to decide on a new Democrats(SPD) are also back in pears to be the far-right Alterna- ity to manage the upheaval. after a spell on the sidelines that Merkel initially came under style, the 65-year-old then led party chief, who would also be favour as Germans welcome the tive for Germany (AfD) party, the Shaking off years of record- left her vulnerable to criticism of fi re for letting Health Minister by example and was snapped do- the future chancellor candidate, government’s move to swiftly largest opposition group in the low popularity, Merkel’s cen- being a “lame duck” leader. Jens Spahn, often tipped as a po- ing her weekly supermarket shop has been scrapped along with all unleash billions of euros in stim- national parliament, whose pop- tre-right CDU/CSU (Christian “At the end of her time in of- tential future chancellor, take the with just one pack of toilet paper other major gatherings. ulus spending to protect jobs and ularity has plunged below 10%. Democratic Union/ Christian fi ce comes the greatest political lead on the virus handling. in her trolley, and four bottles of One of the leading contenders, companies. The Covid-19 crisis has Socialist Union) bloc is now en- challenge of her career,” it said – It wasn’t until March 11 that wine. longtime Merkel critic Friedrich According to the best-selling brought “a return to values that joying approval ratings of around and it seems Germans like what she gave her fi rst press confer- Merkel also won plaudits for Merz, has seen his star fade as his Bild newspaper yesterday, Mer- are rather alien to the AfD: soli- 32-35 %, some six to seven points they’re seeing. ence on the pandemic. going into home-quarantine af- liberal business stance falls out kel’s CDU/CSU bloc and the SPD darity, reliability, caution, con- higher than just a few weeks ago. A former scientist, Merkel’s But since then Merkel has giv- ter it emerged that she had been of step with growing appetite for would once again claim a majori- fi dence in the power of science”, It’s a surprise turn of events for clear grasp of the facts and cool- en a fl urry of briefi ngs and even vaccinated by a doctor who test- state aid to shield Europe’s top ty if new elections were held now wrote Der Spiegel weekly.

‘You are in danger’, Record virus deaths Moscow mayor warns AFP/DPA radius of their homes, yester- Moscow day’s order said. Muscovites exempt from the rules would be issued with a spe- oscow’s mayor an- cial pass by city authorities in the nounced strict isola- coming days, Sobyanin added. Mtion rules for the city The new isolation rules would reported in Spain from today, as coronavirus cases be policed by a “smart system of climbed in the Russian capital. monitoring compliance”, in what AFP/Reuters In Madrid, birdsong drowned The new restrictions would appeared to be a reference to a Madrid out traffi c on deserted streets as apply to all the city’s residents, vast system of facial-recognition police reinforced patrols, stop- regardless of age, mayor Ser- cameras in Moscow. ping buses and cars to check pas- gei Sobyanin said in a statement “Gradually, but steadily, we pain broke another national sengers had reason to be out of yesterday. will tighten the control neces- record of daily coronavirus their homes. “The situation, in terms of sary in this situation,” said So- Sdeaths yesterday as more The number of beds at a make- spreading, has reached a new byanin. than 40% of the world’s popula- shift hospital to treat coronavirus level,” he said earlier. “Please The new isolation measures tion was asked to stay at home to patients in the IFEMA conference take care of yourselves.” will come into force the same day halt the deadly march of a disease centre will soon reach 1,400, Ma- Residents of the capital will as Russia’s borders close as part that has claimed some 32,000 drid’s regional government said. only be allowed to leave their of increasingly stringent meas- lives. It also announced an offi cial homes in the case of a medi- ures to stop the spread of the The coronavirus causes the period of mourning for those cal emergency, to travel to jobs coronavirus. Covid-19 disease. who have died. judged essential by the authori- The coronavirus causes the A deluge of patients are fi ll- Flags will fl y at half-mast and ties, and shop for food or medi- Covid-19 disease. ing up hospitals in Europe and a daily minute’s silence will be cines, the statement read. Health offi cials registered the United States, now the fo- held. Previously, only Muscovites 1,534 cases of coronavirus and cal points of a pandemic that is Schools, bars, restaurants over the age of 65 were under eight deaths, according to yes- upending the global economy in and shops selling non-essential orders to remain in their homes terday’s offi cial tally. unprecedented ways. items have been shut since March under rules that came into force The streets of Moscow were As of yesterday, more than 14 and most of the population is last Monday. eerily quiet on Saturday follow- 3.38bn people were asked or or- house-bound as Spain tries to Citing mobile phone data, So- ing the closure of all non-essen- dered to follow confi nement curb the virus. byanin said about 20% of Mus- tial shops, including restaurants measures, according to an AFP The pandemic has spurred a covites aged 65 and higher left and cafes, as part of preventative database, as the virus infects worldwide scramble for medi- their homes, despite government measures. every sphere of life, wiping out cal gear as doctors and nurses in warnings that this is the group The country closed its bor- millions of jobs, postponing po- some of the world’s wealthiest most vulnerable to the disease. ders to foreigners last week and litical elections and pressing cities struggle to dole out limited “My dears, you are in danger,” grounded all international fl ights pause on the sporting scene. A woman walks past a closed shop in Madrid during a national lock-down to prevent the spread of the stocks of face masks and life- he warned. on Thursday as part of increas- Worst-hit Italy and Spain, new coronavirus. saving respirators. Residents in the capital will ingly stringent measures to slow which together account for more More than 667,090 cases of be allowed to take out trash and the spread of the coronavirus in than half of the world’s deaths, overstretched hospital wards. receive their usual salaries but rights are reinforced”. the novel coronavirus have been walk their dogs within a 100m Russia. are clinging to the hope that they “My ICU (intensive care unit) would have to make up lost hours Unions welcomed the meas- offi cially declared around the are closing in on the peak of the is completely full,” said Eduardo at a later date. ures and business groups CEOE world since the outbreak began Netherlands tops 10,000 Covid-19 cases crisis. Fernandez, a nurse at Infanta So- The measure would last from and CEPYME said that while they late last year, according to an AFP But even as the growth rate fi a hospital in Madrid, where au- March 30 to April 9. would comply with the new rule, tally. The number of confirmed novel coronavirus cases in the Netherlands of infections and deaths slowed thorities have set-up a 5,500-bed Yesterday Labour Minister “it will generate an unprecedent- Variations in testing regimes passed the 10,000 mark yesterday, the authorities said, as the country in both countries, Madrid an- fi eld hospital and transformed an Yolanda Diaz said that the meas- ed huge impact on the Spanish mean the true number is likely far focuses on building up herd immunity rather than confining the nounced a rise in its 24-hour toll ice rink into a morgue. ure was “fl exible” and workers economy, especially in sectors higher. population of 17mn. for a third consecutive day yes- “If it is not a complete col- would be paid but would be ex- such as industry”. As health facilities in rich A total of 771 people have died from the Covid-19 epidemic in the terday, with 838 fatalities, while lapse, we are on the verge,” the pected to make up their lost days The slowdown “may lead to countries buckle under the pres- Netherlands and 10,866 have tested positive, the country’s institute for Italy recorded 756. nurse added. before December 31. a deeper crisis in the economy sure, aid groups warn the toll public health and environment (RIVM) said. Spain is toughening already Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, “We need to reduce mobility that could become social”, they could be in the millions in poor The coronavirus causes the Covid-19 disease. tight restrictions on movement in a televised address to the na- to the level of Sundays,” she said, warned in a statement. states and war zones such as Syr- The Dutch government has adopted a series of measures to fight the while Italian authorities said that tion on Saturday night, an- adding that taking into account Yesterday health emergency ia and Yemen. virus, but has decided so far not to force people to stay home. they would extend a shutdown nounced that all non-essential the Easter holidays, measures chief Fernando Simon repeated Three billion people around A review of the policy is due to be unveiled tomorrow. past the April 3 deadline – de- workers must stay at home for would cover eight working days. a warning that intensive care the world lack access to running “The number of reported hospital admissions and the number of spite the debilitating economic two weeks, the latest government The labour minister added to wards were becoming saturated, water and soap, which are the deceased patients appears to be increasing less rapidly than would be impact on the most vulnerable. measure in the fi ght against the Prime Minister Sanchez’s calls but said cases were stabilising most basic weapons of protec- expected without measures in place,” the institute said on its website. Health authorities say the coronavirus. for the EU to react, saying “we and “the rise in new cases has tion against the virus, according “In a number of days, it can be concluded whether the number of measures are needed to free up He said that workers would need a Europe in which workers’ been falling for a few days”. to UN experts. hospital admissions and the number of deaths among reported patients is actually levelling off , and thus how well the measures are working.” More than two-thirds of the more than 31,000 deaths worldwide from coronavirus have now been recorded in Europe and the Netherlands has warned people will be put under confinement if the measures France steps up already taken do not work. Schools, bars, restaurants, and coff ee houses have been shut down since March 16, while school-leaving exams have been cancelled. All public gatherings and events now require off icial authorisation and evacuations from social distancing of 1.5m (five feet) has been imposed in shops and on public transport under threat of fines. packed hospitals Greenland bans booze in capital Nuuk The sale of alcohol has been banned in the Greenland capital Nuuk in a bid to reduce violence against children during the period of AFP The evacuations came as Ger- confinement over the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic. Nancy, France many sent a military plane for the “In such a situation, we have to take numerous measures to avoid fi rst time to Strasbourg to bring infection,” government leader Kim Kielsen said in a statement on two patients to a hospital in Ulm. Saturday. “But at the heart of my decision is the protection of children, rance staged yesterday its In total around 80 French pa- they have to have a safe home.” largest evacuation of coro- tients have been hospitalised in Nearly one in three people living in the autonomous Danish Arctic Fnavirus patients to date Germany, Switzerland and Lux- territory suff ered sexual abuse during childhood. from hospitals in the hard-hit embourg, European Aff airs Min- Experts link the abuse to alcohol, drugs and ignorance of children’s east, increasing eff orts to free up ister Amelie de Montchalin told rights. intensive care units as offi cials France Inter radio. Emergency medical personnel move a Covid-19 patient from a military hospital in Mulhouse, eastern After Greenland closed down schools last Monday with 10 cases of the warn of an infl ux of serious cases France has been evacuating France, to an ambulance before being transported aboard a medicalised TGV (high-speed train) to be novel coronavirus diagnosed, a rise in violence followed. in the coming days. dozens over the past week from evacuated to hospitals in other French regions. “Unfortunately, in Nuuk, domestic violence has been on the rise in Two specially-equipped high- the east, hoping to stay ahead of recent weeks,” Health Minister Martha Abelsen told local media. speed trains carried 36 patients a crisis that Prime Minister Ed- virus deaths in the past 24 hours, that “the battle is only starting”. 1bn face masks, mainly from Excessive drinking by parents exposes children to dangers in the home, from Mulhouse and Nancy to- ouard Philippe has warned will bringing the total to 2,606. “This war will probably be China, but warned that surging Greenlanders were warned. ward hospitals along France’s only worsen over the next two The coronavirus causes the won on the basis of intensive care worldwide demand for protective The alcohol ban came into force on Saturday and is scheduled to last western coast, where the out- weeks. Covid-19 disease. beds, and our ability to strategi- equipment means they might not until April 15. break has been limited so far. Overall more than 4,600 coro- The daily toll was below the cally use all our intensive care arrive soon enough for workers Dozens of hospital workers, navirus patients are in intensive 319 deaths reported on Satur- resources on the national level,” currently facing shortages. German state minister commits suicide fl anked by police and soldiers care in France, many with severe day, but the fi gures include only said Marie-Odile Saillard, direc- A plane from China carry- standing guard, spent hours in- respiratory problems requiring deaths reported in hospitals, and tor of the Metz regional hospital. ing some 5mn masks and other Thomas Schaefer, the finance minister of Germany’s Hesse state, has stalling four patients in each ventilators that offi cials worry not at retirement homes or as- National health service chief equipment was scheduled to committed suicide apparently after becoming “deeply worried” over wagon in an operation that began could soon be in short supply. sisted-living facilities. Jerome Salomon said 359 more arrive in Paris, though the gov- how to cope with the economic fallout from the coronavirus, state before dawn. Philippe said on Saturday that Offi cials fear the virus risks people were placed in intensive ernment has admitted it needs premier Volker Bouff ier said yesterday. “We have to free up beds, it’s the government was racing to spreading quickly at the coun- care yesterday. 40mn masks each week for Schaefer, 54, was found dead near a railway track on Saturday. absolutely crucial that we air out have 14,000 intensive care beds try’s roughly 7,000 retirement “This is the most important health workers alone as the out- The Wiesbaden prosecution’s off ice said they believe he died by suicide. these intensive care units. We’re available soon, compared with homes, and several have already number to keep track of, because break rages. “We are in shock, we are in disbelief and above all we are immensely still seeing an increase in patient just 5,000 before the outbreak announced dozens of deaths. it refl ects the strength of the epi- France has been on lockdown sad,” Bouff ier said in a recorded statement. numbers,” said Francois Brun, began in January. Those fi gures will start to be demic,” he said at his daily brief- since March 17 in a bid to limit Popular and well-respected, Schaefer had long been touted as a head of emergency services at the Yesterday the national health reported this week, the prime ing. contagion, a situation it has ex- possible successor to Bouff ier. regional hospital in nearby Metz. service reported 292 new corona- minister said yesterday, warning The government has ordered tended until at least April 15. He leaves behind a wife and two children. Gulf Times Monday, March 30, 2020 13 INDIA Note ban or lockdown, it’s the poor who suff er: Congress

IANS cially sound cannot aff ord such a the government was barely 0.5% be arranged for the poor who are also the common man was at the “Now it’s not time for petty which originated from China and New Delhi costly test,” he said. of the GDP, as opposed to stimu- walking hundreds of kilometres receiving end, so is today,” he and partisan politicking about travelled through silk route to Eu- The Congress also attacked lus announced by the US which to get back home. tweeted. which government responded rope and killed millions of people. the government over the lock- is 15% of its GDP. “We request the Modi govern- Kapil Sibal, another sen- when and how eff ectively. We Titling it as Sunday mus- he Congress party yester- down. “The lockdown was an- Singhvi said the government ment to heed the suggestions ior Congress leader, tweeted: should work unitedly with laser ings, he said, “In 14th century day attacked the govern- nounced with the same haste should help stranded people. being off ered by the Congress “Modiji why: For Janata Cur- focus to contain the spread of the black death or the great bubonic Tment for “inept handling” with which demonetisation was “In Punjab, we are sending and do something about the few, four-day notice, for 21-day Covid-19 and treat the infected plague killed half of Europe’s of the situation arising out of done,” he said. buses for the distressed students stranded workers.” lockdown four-hour notice. No regardless of their economic population – the virus origi- the country-wide lockdown and “Did you not think about who have come from Jammu and Congress MP Shashi Tharoor preparations in advance before background,” Deora tweeted. nated in China and central Asia the high prices of testing kits for migrant workers, daily wage similar measures are being taken in also attacked Prime Minister lockdown. Migrants, jobless “There will be time for poli- and travelled to Europe through Covid-19. labourers? Because of your ac- Chhattisgarh and other Congress- Narendra Modi for not giving walking up to 200km to reach tics and rebuilding. At that time, the silk route. About 700 years The opposition party’s tions, more than 1 crore people ruled states. Exemplary work is enough time to the people to home without food, shelter. La- hopefully, we will direct our out- later with advance medical sci- spokesman Abhishek Singhvi are on the streets. How can you being done by Congress workers in prepare before the lockdown was khs stranded on highways, clue- rage at those who misled and lied ence and stricter border controls said the testing kits are priced at then talk about social distanc- helping people,” said Singhvi. imposed. less and incompetent.” to the world. Without accounta- coronovirus threatens millions Rs4,500 apiece in India. ing?” asked Singhvi. He said when fl ights can be “Neither was there a prepara- However, party leader Milind bility, nothing changes,” he said. in the world. The plague reduced “Please don’t mock our poor The party alleged that the fi - sent to bring back Indians stuck tion then (referring to demon- Deora said this was no time for Deora compared the current the world population by almost as anybody who is not fi nan- nancial package announced by abroad, why can’t road transport etisation), nor now. That time politics. crisis to the 14th century plague, 350mn as per reports.” ISRO unit to design Modi seeks ventilators, produce sanitisers ‘forgiveness’

IANS Chennai as lockdown esigning simple to oper- ate ventilators, manu- Dfacturing of sanitisers, oxygen canisters and facemasks while putting on hold manufac- ture of rockets is what Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), woes deepen part of the Indian Space Re- search Organisation, is doing to Agencies have to fi ght the war against Cov- fruitful. It should be strictly fol- meet the emergency needs of the New Delhi id-19, adding that without suffi - lowed,” Borse added. people, a senior offi cial said. cient gadgets, they would to lose it. The number of confi rmed Based in Thiruvananthapuram Mahendra Atmaram Borse coronavirus cases in India rose in Kerala, the VSSC makes the rime Minister Narendra told the prime minister that all to 979 yesterday, with 25 deaths. rockets that launches Indian and Modi asked the nation’s of his patients were recovering The government announced a foreign satellites. Ppoor for forgiveness yes- from the deadly disease. $22.6bn economic stimulus plan “We are designing ventilators terday, as the economic and In an interview to IANS, Borse on Thursday to provide direct that are diff erent from what is human toll from his 21-day na- said the unavailability of sanitis- cash transfers and food hand- already there. We are designing tionwide lockdown deepens and ers, facemasks and other protec- outs to the poor. ventilators that can be operated in criticism mounts about a lack of tive equipment were making the In an opinion piece published a simple manner and even when adequate planning ahead of the work of doctors very diffi cult and yesterday, Abhijit Banerjee and there is no power supply,” VSSC decision. urged the government to provide his wife Esther Dufl o – two of the director S Somanath told IANS. Modi announced the three- them to the doctors, nurses and three winners of the Nobel Prize He said the VSSC will design week lockdown on Tuesday to medical staff . in Economics in 2019 – said even the ventilators which will be curb the spread of coronavirus. “Personal protection equip- more aid for the poor is needed. manufactured by industries. But the decision has stung ment should be made available “Without that, the demand “We are making sanitisers for millions of poor people, leaving to us because we are fi ghting a crisis will snowball into an eco- captive and also for use of others. many hungry and forcing jobless war at the forefront. nomic avalanche, and people We have made over 1,000 litres. migrant labourers to fl ee cities If you direct them to fi ght it will have no choice but to defy Similarly, facemasks are made by and walk hundreds of kilometres with insuffi cient gadgets, they orders,” they wrote in the Indian employee societies,” he added. to their native villages. are going to lose it,” he said. Express. Meanwhile, the employees have “I would fi rstly like to seek Borse, who works at Pune’s The lockdown is expected to been asked to work from home. forgiveness from all my country- Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital exacerbate India’s economic “Our communication and men,” Modi said in his ‘Mann ki and Research Centre, said that woes at a time when growth had computer networks are safe and Baat’ nationwide radio address. more than 80 nurses in the city already slumped to its lowest secure and those who can work The poor “would defi nitely have resigned following the out- pace in six years. from home are working from be thinking what kind of prime break of the pandemic. Meanwhile, a Kerala couple home while critical operations are minister is this, who has put us “Nurses have no place to live. who have been cured have a mes- taken care of by deploying nec- into so much trouble,” he said, They come with packed suitcas- sage for others: Be calm and just essary staff . Whenever needed, urging people to understand es and at the end of the day, have listen to and follow the instruc- video conferencing is also held,” there was no other option. nowhere to go. Hospitals have tions of health professionals. Somanath added. According to “Steps taken so far… will give somehow managed to provide Robin and his wife tested him, manufacturing of rockets has India victory over corona,” he them hostels for now,” he said. positive for coronavirus in early been put on hold for now. added. Borse said in Pune, doctors and March and were quarantined. Asked about the status of “Those who are defying the nurses are being asked to move Their 21-day ordeal is fi nally the Geosynchronous Satel- lockdown are playing with their out of their rented apartments. over, with the experience mak- lite Launch Vehicle (GSLV-F10) own lives,” Modi said. “People, who themselves do ing them more strong. loaded with India’s fi rst Geo Im- He also spoke to people who not follow the instructions, are They got the infection from aging Satellite-1 (GISAT-1), he had suff ered from the virus at- now evicting sisters and doc- Robin’s brother-in-law who had said the rocket has been brought tack and had recovered. tors,” the doctor said, adding arrived from Italy on February 29. back from the launch pad to the Modi asked them to take their that beating pots and clapping Their young child too stayed assembling building. stories forward. will not help the medical staff . with them in hospital. On Sat- On March 4, a day before the He spoke to doctors and asked Borse said that the 21-day na- urday, all three were discharged scheduled launch GISAT-1 on- them how they were dealing tionwide lockdown imposed will from the Kottayam Medical Col- board the GSLV-F10 and hours with the attack. help only if people strictly follow lege Hospital after a series of before the start of the launch A doctor who appeared on the it and stay inside. routine tests came negative. countdown, the space agency radio programme said personal “The way people are roam- Robin said the 21-day quar- announced postponement of the The normally busy National Highway 30 near Gaighat in Patna, Bihar, wears a deserted look on Day 5 of protection equipment should be ing around on the roads, I do antine, especially in the initial mission owing to technical glitch. the 21-day countrywide lockdown yesterday. provided to doctors because if they not think the lockdown will be days, were tough. Special parcel trains to Banyan tree was their carry essential items quarantine centre IANS positive for the disease at a later Kolkata date, then at least none of the IANS Jaipur and Moga-Chhangsari Until now, only railway em- villagers will be infected because New delhi Parcel Express routes. ployees were entitled to get of us,” said one of the workers. In a bid to stop the spread of treatment at railway hospitals. even migrant workers, who The workers reached Kharag- the Covid-19 across the coun- Railway production units came back home to West pur junction station last Sunday he Indian Railways yes- try, the railways has decided have started preparing sanitis- SBengal’s Purulia district from Chennai and underwent terday said it would run to suspend the passenger, mail ers, medical cots, IV stands and from Chennai amid the corona- thermal screening but the doc- Tspecial parcel trains to and express train services from other essential medical items to virus-lockdown, perched them- tors did not fi nd any symptom ensure the supply of essential March 24 to April 14 in the wake meet the growing demand. selves on a banyan tree to remain of the disease. “However, they items like dairy products, medi- of Prime Minister Narendra Meanwhile, Fortis Healthcare in quarantine, as they did not asked us to live under self-quar- cal equipment and medicines on Modi’s announcement of 21-day yesterday said it has initiated a have a separate room for self- antine for 14 days as a safety several routes during the Cov- nationwide lockdown. 360 degree action plan to meet isolation in their small huts. measure”. id-19 nationwide lockdown. The railways is only running the challenges of treating Cov- After several days in their “But we don’t have any sepa- “In its continuous eff ort of freight train services to ensure id-19 patients, with the setting ‘temporary home’, the work- rate personal room in our home. carrying essential commodities the supply of essential items up of isolation wards at its 28 fa- ers were on Saturday ordered to So, we decided to live on the to diff erent parts of the country across the country and in the last cilities across the country. come down by the local admin- branches of the banyan tree just through freight trains, Northern fi ve days, the national transport- A total of 262 isolation beds istration. outside our village,” the worker Railways has decided to run Par- er has carried over 190,000 rakes have been set aside to treat Cov- The workers, all residents said. cel Special Trains to carry small across the country. id-19 patients, the hospital said of Bangidiha village of Purulia The seven labourers tied their quantities of essential items like The Indian Railways also said its in a statement. district, said as they live in one- beds to the branches of the tree, dairy products, medical equip- hospitals will now remain open for “We are working closely with room mud huts with their fami- and used a mosquito net to pre- ment and medicines, groceries, central government employees. the central and state govern- lies, there was no way they could vent themselves from insect bites. edible oil, other food items, etc,” “In view of the outbreak of the ments to ramp up the infrastruc- keep themselves in isolation. Their family members brought it said in a statement. Covid-19, Ministry of Railways ture of isolation and critical care However, none of them have them daily ration of rice, pulses, The Special Parcel express has decided that the services of beds along with the necessary so far shown symptoms linked to and vegetables, along with other trains would run on the New Del- railway hospitals across the coun- medical supplies and equip- Covid-19, nor have they under- cooking implements and left af- hi-Gauhati, New Delhi-Mumbai try would remain available for all ment to meet the challenge,” Dr gone any test. ter keeping those under the tree, Central, New Delhi-Kalyan, New central government employees on Ashutosh Raghuvanshi, CEO of A civil defence personnel get his bamboo stick disinfected outside a “At present we don’t have any while strictly maintaining the Delhi-Howrah, Chandigarh- showing their identity cards.” Fortis Healthcare, said. bus terminal in New Delhi yesterday. health issues. But in case we test norms of social distancing. Gulf Times 14 Monday, March 30, 2020 INDIA Farmers, consumers suff er as curbs disrupt supply chain

Agencies is facing a spike of coronavirus Tomatoes grown on half an shi, who lives on the outskirts of president of the Maharashtra tural labourers has added to their available are demanding higher Kanur, Maharashtra cases. acre of Rajpure’s land have been Mumbai, is having to pay Rs90/ Heavy Vehicle and Inter-State woes. wages. “The police are not allowing ripe for harvesting since early kg for tomatoes, nearly three Container Operators’ Associa- With the agricultural markets Meanwhile, the shortage of farmers to transport vegetables last week, but he has instead times the price before the curbs. tion. shut, the state governments have drivers was contributing to delays three-week lockdown to the city market,” said farmer been feeding some of them to his But even then, supplies of “This is prompting them to told farmers not to come to towns in loading and unloading at India’s in India aimed at stop- Vijay Rajpure from Kanur vil- sheep. vegetables were insuffi cient, she move to their native places. They with their produce but wait in largest container port, JNPT, on A ping the coronavirus is lage, about 240km southeast of Fellow villager Ashok said. are unlikely to come back until their respective villages for pro- the outskirts of Mumbai, its chair- preventing perishables from Mumbai. Salunkhe said he had stopped India relies on truckers to move the end of May. The scarcity of curement by authorities. man Sanjay Sethi said. reaching its teeming cities, On Tuesday, Prime Minister transporting vegetables to commodities from the country- drivers will remain.” Telnagana Chief Minister K That could weigh on supplies pushing up prices and forcing Narendra Modi locked down the Mumbai in his small vehicle side and ports to its cities. Farmers in Telangana and Chandrashekar Rao said the of edible oils, nearly two-third of some farmers to feed their rip- entire country for three weeks in because he was fed up with the But the virus has made many Andhra Pradesh also fear a major farmers would be allowed to which comes from overseas, said ening produce to their animals the world’s most ambitious bid numerous check-points and drivers to fl ee back to their vil- crisis as the lockdown has aff ect- complete the harvesting of the an edible oil refi ner in the central instead. to control the coronavirus epi- police harassment since the lages. ed the harvest of crops. crops spread over 5mn acres. city of Indore. The breakdown in the supply demic. lockdown came into force. “The drivers are mostly from Though agriculture is ex- However, non-availability of “If things are not sorted out chain is especially hurting hun- Photographs of baton-wield- The other problem was that rural areas, where only a few empted from the lockdown in agriculture labourers has hit the in a week or two, there could be dreds of millions of rural and ur- ing police beating people violat- most diesel pumps were shut, he coronavirus cases have been both states, a majority of farm- farmers hard. Many labourers a shortage of edible oils in some ban poor in the world’s second- ing the order have gone viral on said. reported compared to urban ers are scared to come out of have gone back to their villages areas,” said the refi ner, who de- most populous country, which social media. As a result, Nita Suryawan- areas,” said Pravin Paithankar, their homes. Shortage of agricul- due to the lockdown and those clined to be identifi ed. Coronavirus heroes come under attack

AFP vironment where misinforma- New Delhi tion and rumours are thriving. Airline and airport staff , who are still being called on for evacua- hey have been hailed as tions of Indians stuck overseas and India’s coronavirus “he- management of key cargo deliver- Troes”, but doctors, nurses, ies, have also been threatened. delivery drivers and other front- Indigo and Air India have con- line workers have been attacked demned threats made against and in some cases evicted from their staff . their homes by panicked resi- An Air India fl ight attendant dents. told AFP her neighbours threat- Some e-commerce giants have ened to evict her from her apart- even halted deliveries partly due ment while she was heading to to the harassment of staff , while the United States, saying she Prime Minister Narendra Modi would “infect everyone”. said abuse of hospital workers “I couldn’t sleep that night,” had become a “huge issue”. she said, afraid to reveal her Reports of attacks and abuse name over fear of further stig- have come from across India, in- matisation. creasing with the imposition of a “I was scared that even if I did 21-day nationwide lockdown. go home, would someone break In at least one case, police open the door or call people to were accused of beating a deliv- kick me out?” ery driver carrying medicines. Her husband had to ask the Sanjibani Panigrahi, a doctor police for help. Migrant workers travel on crowded buses as they return to their villages, in Ghaziabad yesterday. in Surat, Gujarat, described how Others have not been as lucky, she was accosted as she returned the fl ight attendant said, with home from a long day at a hospital one colleague – who declined to that is treating Covid-19 patients. speak to AFP – forced out of her She said neighbours blocked home and now living with her her at the entrance to her apart- parents. ment building and threatened “With all the fake news and “consequences” if she continued WhatsApp forwards, they don’t Seal borders to stop exodus to work. know what is going on, so there’s “These are the same people who this paranoia that makes them have happily interacted with me behave like this,” she said. (in the past). Whenever they’ve T Praveen Keerthi, general sec- faced a problem, I’ve helped them retary of the Indian Commercial out,” the 36-year-old told AFP. Pilots Association (IPCA), told of workers, govt tells states “There is a sense of fear among AFP they had received more than people. I do understand. But it’s 50 complaints from airline crew. Agencies have decided to “seal” district ers, analysts and some citizens Pradesh, according to a police of- national capital where authori- like I suddenly became an un- “Airline staff ers are being New Delhi and state borders. are increasingly criticising the fi cial. ties were arranging transporta- touchable.” stopped from entering their own “Directions were issued that implementation of the lock- “We will die of walking and tion to take them home. Last week, doctors at the residential premises by security district and state borders should down starving before getting killed by In addition to construction, All India Institute of Medical guards,” he said. he central government be eff ectively sealed and states In particular, they say the gov- corona,” said migrant worker many work in factories or are Sciences appealed to the gov- “We also have families and yesterday asked all states were directed to ensure there is ernment appears to have been Madhav Raj, 28, as he walked by street vendors. ernment for help after health children that we leave at home to Tto strictly follow the na- no movement of people across caught off guard by the mass the road in Uttar Pradesh. Yesterday, several hundred mi- workers were forced out of their help fellow citizens. The least we tionwide lockdown and stop the cities or on highways,” said a gov- movement of migrants, which At a border checkpost be- grants in the town of Paippad in homes by panicked landlords expect is for our colleagues to not movement of people across cit- ernment statement. threatens to spread the disease tween Haryana and Delhi, a po- Kerala gathered in a square de- and housing societies. be harassed and ostracised.” ies, advising them to arrange “Only movement of goods into the hinterlands. licewoman could be seen trying manding transport back to their “Many doctors are stranded Airport workers involved in shelter, food and other facilities should be allowed. District Mag- “The Gov’t had no contingen- to persuade a family of migrant hometowns. on the roads with all their lug- moving essential supplies have for migrant labourers at their istrates and Superintendents of cy plans in place for this exodus,” workers, including three small Modi’s supporters slammed gage, nowhere to go, across the also faced attacks as have deliv- workplace. Police should be made personally tweeted Congress leader Rahul children, to return home. the state governments on Twitter country,” the letter said. ery workers transporting medi- The order came amid mass responsible for implementation Gandhi as images of migrant la- “We waited for three days, now for failing to properly implement Modi called on people to stop cines and groceries. exodus of migrant labour- of these directions which have bourers walking long distances to we have no money, no food. No the lockdown. treating medical workers as pari- E-commerce giant Flipkart ers from cities to their villages been issued under the Disaster return home dominated media. one came to help us. It is better to In cities, too, anger was rising. ahs, describing those fi ghting the temporarily suspended services in different states like Uttar Management Act,” the statement #ModiMadeDisaster was a die at home than die here of hun- “We have no food or drink. I virus were “god-like”. last week. Pradesh and Bihar after Prime said. top trending topic yesterday on ger,” Savita Devi, 45, said. sat down thinking how to feed my “Today they are the people The Walmart-owned group Minister Narendra Modi on The states have been advised Twitter. Home for her family of con- family,” said homemaker Amir- who are saving us from dying, said it only resumed home de- Tuesday announced the 21-day to make adequate arrangements Police said four migrants were struction workers is in the out- bee Shaikh Yusuf, 50, in Mum- putting their lives in danger.” liveries after police guaranteed lockdown in a bid to combat the for food and shelter for the poor killed on Saturday when a truck skirts of Bareilly in Uttar Pradesh, bai’s sprawling Dharavi slum. Health workers are not the “the safe and smooth passage of spread of Covid-19. and needy, including migrant la- ran into them in Maharashtra. about 230km away. “There is nothing good about only ones facing the brunt of the our supply chain and delivery ex- Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba bourers at the place of their work. Also on Saturday, a migrant Hundreds were arriving at a this lockdown. People are angry, frightened population in an en- ecutives.” said yesterday the authorities Meanwhile, opposition lead- collapsed and died in Uttar bus station on the outskirts of the no one is caring for us.” ‘Vested interests’ behind migrants workers’ protest, says Vijayan

IANS where they are, he added. the migrants had raised no issue. of patients and goods. Thiruvananthapuram Earlier in morning, over a 1,000 “Till Saturday, they never ever Vijayan said in a statement migrant labourers from various raised any issue. The demand that after he spoke to Modi, states gathered at Payipadu near that they wanted to go home sur- Home Minister Amit Shah called erala Chief Minister Pi- Changnacherry in Kottayam dis- faced only today. The issue will him and assured him of action. narayi Vijayan yesterday trict in violation of a nationwide have to be discussed in view of “The border at Mangalore has Ksaid a protest by migrant lockdown and demanded that they the lockdown,” said Babu. been closed, inconveniencing labourers in Kottayam dis- be sent back home. However, Payipadu village many patients from neighbour- trict shouldn’t have happened They also staged a protest but council member Sibi said the mi- ing Kasargode in Kerala. and those behind it would “be were chased away by police. grants were facing trouble in get- Similarly, the Coorg entry brought to book”. Local legislator C F Thomas said ting food and accommodation. point is the gateway of Kannur “It was a purported act by though there were no complaints “I am seized of the issue. These district to Karnataka, which has vested interests, out to create about food or accommodation, the labourers are fi nding it tough ar- also been closed, disrupting the trouble. It would be dealt with migrants wanted to return home. ranging food and accommoda- movement of essential items. strongly. Kerala considers mi- “Payipadu has been a central tion. They are brought to Kerala Shah has assured us that things grant labourers as ‘guests’.We place for migrant workers for by agents who have washed their will be sorted out,” said Vijayan. have taken all steps. There are long. Every day, they converge hands off the matter. That’s the The chief minister yesterday over 5,000 camps housing over there and then move to their re- real issue,” said Siby. said even though federal minister 1.70 lakh of them,” Vijayan said. spective work locations. A series State Bharatiya Janata Party Sadananda Gowda had assured “When they said they wanted of meetings have taken place in chief K Surendran said workers him, there was no breakthrough. to cook their own food, we sup- the past few days. Almost 50% were “restless because they are not Yesterday a patient who was plied them provisions. Despite all of workers have returned. But the getting food and accommodation. not allowed to be taken to Man- this, it happened at Payipadu. We rest who had made arrangements Hence, they want to go home.” galore near Kasargode was taken will bring to book those behind to travel back to their homes Meanwhile, Vijayan yesterday back, and died later. this,” said Vijayan. were unable to do so due to the sent a letter to Modi and later Since Thursday night Karna- As of now, he said, they cannot lockdown and cancellation of all phoned him, requesting that the taka has closed the routes, fear- return to their villages. trains,” said Thomas. borders between Karnataka and ing the spread of Covid-19 as Even Prime Minister Naren- Kottayam District Collector Kerala in Mangalore and Coorg Kerala has the highest number of dra Modi has asked all to stay Sudhir Babu said until recently Workers install beds to set up a quarantine facility inside Sarusajai Sports Complex in Guwahati, Assam yesterday. remain open for the movement positive cases in the country. Gulf Times Monday, March 30, 2020 15

INDIA LATIN AMERICA Walmart’s Mexico unit pulls elderly workers from checkouts

Reuters mart stores and other chains the largest in Mexico. dations from the government’s cording to the Centers for Dis- mart’s stores, the company had lect shopping carts outside the Mexico City through a government-backed “Taking into account that National Institute for Elderly ease Control and Prevention put hand sanitiser at cashiers, store, said he had few worries. volunteer programme, earning elderly people are an especially People (INAPAM), which over- (CDC). supplied cleaning wipes for “I’m not scared of death. just tips. vulnerable group, we’ve decided sees the programme and had In China, where the virus fi rst checkout counters, urged fre- When it comes, it comes,” he rocers including Wal- The programme, already to go without the presence of been reluctant to adopt meas- took hold, about 80% of deaths quent hand-washing and checks said. mart de Mexico have criticised by labour activists, is the elderly people who provide ures that would damage work- have been among people 60 and the temperatures of grocery Mexico has so far fared bet- Gbegun bowing to pres- under renewed scrutiny as fears valuable support as volunteer ers’ incomes. older, said the CDC, citing Chi- baggers, several workers told ter than countries such as China sure to pull from stores tens of about coronavirus have prompt- grocery baggers,” the company Mexican grocery chain Sori- nese data. Reuters earlier this week. and Italy grappling with thou- thousands of elderly workers ed many Mexicans to self-iso- said in a statement. ana too stopped using the eld- A petition on change.org de- Walmart also recommended sands of deaths. who pack bags at checkouts as late and work from home. Walmart de Mexico also said erly volunteers and said it would manding the senior workers in surgical masks, said Guillermo However, critics question concerns grow about their vul- Walmart de Mexico said it would off er the workers “eco- ask shoppers to leave donations Mexico be allowed home with Valdez, 65, who packs grocer- President Andres Manuel Lopez nerability to coronavirus amid it would suspend the pro- nomic support,” but did not pro- for the volunteers, which the compensation had gathered ies at a Superama in Mexico Obrador’s resistance to travel panic buying nationwide. gramme, following a large vide details. company would match. more than 83,000 signatures, City’s upscale Polanco neigh- bans or work shutdowns. Some 35,000 elderly Mexi- online petition and a Reuters The company previously said People 65 and older account less than a week after going on- bourhood, but added none were His toughest measures have cans, most between 60 and 74 story about mounting pres- it would keep bag packers in its for eight out of every 10 deaths line. available. been cancelling large events and years old, pack groceries at Wal- sure on the retailer, which is stores in line with recommen- from coronavirus in the US, ac- At Superama, one of Wal- Even so, Valdez, helping col- suspending classes. Coronavirus fear now reaches deep into Amazon

AFP sessed with protecting their com- Carauari munity from Covid-19, said Jose Barbosa das Gracas, 52. “We’re doing everything we ocated in the heart of can. Washing our hands to prevent the Amazon rainforest, a it, like they say on TV,” he said. Lweek’s trip upriver by boat, “We’re just praying that this epi- Carauari is not a place that’s easy demic does not come here.” to reach. The local government is keen But the spreading global panic to keep the virus away, since it is over the coronavirus pandemic as hard to get out of Carauari — has arrived. including for emergency medical A colourful collection of stilt care — as it is to get in. houses scattered along the mas- The town hospital only has 50 sive, brown meanders of the Jurua beds. River in western Brazil, Carauari is “The logistical diffi culty of ac- technically a “municipality.” cessing the town is an advantage However, its 29,000 residents for us for now, in that it minimises are spread out over 26,000 square the risk of an infected person ar- kilometres, mostly on the western riving. But it also means we’ll have bank of the river, a tributary of the more diffi culty transporting pa- Amazon. tients out if we need to,” said Ma- Passengers board a lifeboat from Holland America Line cruise ship MS Zaandam to be transported to her sister ship Rotterdam in Panama Bay, Panama. It is one of the most remote noel Brito, the hospital’s director. towns on Earth, with no roads Carauari last week launched connecting it to the outside world. health checkpoints to screen pas- The only way to get here is a sengers arriving by plane and boat, three-hour fl ight from Manaus, on orders of Mayor Bruno Luiz the capital of Amazonas state, or Litaif Ramalho. a boat trip that takes seven days, But the new restrictions have fi rst up the Amazon River and then raised fears that Carauari will be the Jurua. even more cut off from the outside Passengers transferred For weeks, the new coronavirus world than before. was a far-away thing people in Residents’ lives depend on the Carauari heard about on the news. goods that arrive by boat from But then the fi rst case was con- Manaus — medicine, food, in- fi rmed in Manaus, and the panic dustrial products... anything they that has swept from Wuhan, China don’t produce themselves. to Europe and now the Americas “It’s going to be hard to survive” from virus-stricken ship arrived in the heart of the jungle, if boat traffi c is aff ected, said Lu- waking old traumas in a place that ciano da Silva, 32, a fi sherman, as AFP refused to let it dock. of the virus were ferried from that 42 people aboard were suf- knowing if there is a plane back has a devastating history with dis- he unloaded equipment from his Panama City The ship’s Dutch owner Hol- the Zaandam to the Rotterdam, a fering from fl u-like symptoms. to my homeland.” eases brought in from the outside wooden canoe along the banks of land America said Friday four French tourist said by telephone. Then on Friday, Panama’s gov- Panama’s Maritime Aff airs world. the Jurua. passengers had died and two “It’s like emptying a bathtub ernment blocked the vessel from Minister Noriel Arauz said 401 “Now they’re saying they don’t “We depend on those boats.” assengers on a virus- more had tested positive for with a teaspoon,” she said. “The its waterway, cutting off its route passengers who had tested nega- want to let anyone leave here The new virus is especially wor- stricken cruise liner Covid-19. boats can hold about 100 people, to Florida. tive for Covid-9 would be al- for Manaus, or let anyone from rying for indigenous communities Pstranded off Central Panama reversed its decision and they are putting about half “It is very diffi cult to maintain lowed to leave the Zaandam. Manaus come here, so they won’t in the Amazon. For them, contact America were transferred to an- to block the Zaandam from its in at a time. That’s why it’s going mental health” aboard the vessel, People who were ill and those bring in the disease,” said resi- with the outside world has often other ship, after the US-bound canal, and said it would be al- slowly.” passenger Dante Leguizamon, who had been in contact with dent Raimunda da Silva dos San- meant decimation by foreign dis- vessel was given permission to lowed to pass “to provide hu- The Zaandam cruise liner left from Argentina, said on Saturday them will not be transferred. tos, speaking from the door of her eases. pass through the Panama Ca- manitarian help.” Buenos Aires on March 7 and was in a video recorded in the small The Zaandam will now head to house near the river port. It is a long, painful history that nal. Another ship, the Rotterdam, supposed to arrive two weeks lat- cabin he has been confi ned to for Fort Lauderdale in Florida, where “I was born here in Carauari, goes back to the fi rst European The Zaandam had been has since arrived off the coast of er at San Antonio, near Santiago six days. the remaining passengers will be I’ve lived here all my life. I turned colonisers, who wiped out an es- stuck in the Pacific Ocean Panama from San Diego carrying in Chile. “I am...on a boat that I can- able to disembark, according to 80 in January, and I can tell you, timated 95% of the indigenous since March 14 after dozens of food, medical staff , testing kits, Since a brief stop in Punta not get off, with coronavirus Holland America and Panama- I’ve never seen anything like this.” population of the Americas, the 1,800 people on board re- medicine and food for the belea- Arenas in Chilean Patagonia on patients, with four dead, going nian offi cials. Like the rest of the world, mostly through diseases such as ported flu-like symptoms and guered vessel. March 14, it has been turned away to Miami, full of uncertainty, The Rotterdam is expected to Carauari residents are now ob- smallpox. several South American ports Passengers showing no signs from several ports after reporting without money...and without return to San Diego, Arauz said. Bolsonaro ‘threatens Rapper warns of to sack minister’

Guardian News and Media banging protests in major cities. Brasilia On Friday, the president virus threat in slums shrugged his shoulders at the like- ly deaths, telling an interviewer: Reuters as Bolsonaro has claimed and who has called the pandemic a air Bolsonaro has reportedly “Some will die. I’m sorry. That’s Rio de Janeiro more Brazilians will become in- “fantasy” that was exaggerated told his health minister he will life.” fected due to the leader’s “arro- by the media. Jsack him if he dares criticise his Estado de São Paulo said that at gance,” the singer said. Like US President Donald handling of the coronavirus crisis. Saturday’s summit – which was razilian rapper M V Bill “Take care, protect your- Trump, the Brazilian president According to a report in the also attended by Brazil’s justice added his voice to a chorus selves...there will be no room has advocated reopening of ac- Estado de São Paulo newspaper, and defence ministers – Mandetta Bof criticism of President in the intensive care units,” he tivities to get the economy mov- the Brazilian president’s warning tried to convince Bolsonaro of the Jair Bolsonaro for downplaying warned. ing while minimising the need came during a top-level meet- gravity of the situation. the gravity of the new coronavi- The 46-year-old rapper lives for social distancing urged by ing on Saturday as the number of He reportedly said: “Are we rus epidemic in a video clip that next to a sprawling complex of public health experts. confi rmed Covid-19 cases in the ready for the worst-case scenario, urges people to protect them- slums where the fi rst case of M V Bill said Brazil’s favela country rose to more than 3,900 with army trucks transporting selves. coronavirus in Rio’s favelas was inhabitants would not be able to and the death toll hit 114. bodies through the streets? And His rap Quarantine recorded reported last weekend. quarantine themselves because The Health Minister, Luiz Hen- cameras livestreaming that on the in the isolation of his home and Armed gangs and militias in they had to work for a living and rique Mandetta, reportedly in- Internet?” posted on social media warns the slums have imposed strict go to get food as no one was going formed Brazil’s far-right leader he Mandetta, who is an orthopae- that contagion could be explo- curfews and are stopping outsid- to deliver to the slum. would have no choice but to pub- dic doctor, noted that even 1,000 sive in Brazil’s crowded “favelas” ers from entering to stop the vi- The economy must continue licly criticise him if he insisted on deaths would be the equivalent of or slums. rus spreading. working for those with precari- going out in public despite warn- four Boeing aircraft crashes. Seeing that many Brazilians Confi rmed cases in Brazil tre- ous incomes. “We do need to ings to stay indoors. Experts believe far more people including their president were bled to 3,417 in the last week, think about the economy, but we “Bolsonaro replied that, if he are likely to die. not taking the virus seriously with 92 deaths so far, according can’t condemn people to death,” did so, he would fi re him,” the con- Recent modelling by research- motivated his song, he told Reu- to the health ministry. he said. servative newspaper reported, cit- ers from Imperial College London ters by e-mail. Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, “What worried me the most in ing anonymous sources. suggested Brazil could have more “The World Health Organisa- Brazil’s two most populous and this pandemic is the lack of infor- Bolsonaro’s downplaying of than 1.1mn Covid-19 deaths if no tion warned, people paid little most aff ected states, have shut mation of people who still don’t coronavirus – and his public action were taken to control the heed, head of state downplayed, down non-essential business believe how lethal this virus is,” he call for Brazil to relax quarantine pandemic; 529,000 if only elderly delayed, they lost time on things and public gatherings to slow said by e-mail. “Even with the ex- measures and get back to work – people were forced to isolate; and that do not matter,” he rapped. the spread of the virus, their au- ample of Italy, there are still people A man walks down a street during a preventive quarantine following have appalled critics and many 44,200 if drastic measures were Covid-19 is not “a small cold” thorities at odds with Bolsonaro who are ignoring it.” the outbreak of coronavirus disease in Santiago, Chile. citizens, sparking nightly pot- implemented. Gulf Times 16 Monday, March 30, 2020 PAKISTAN

Sharif suggests Global co-operation key utilising schools, in anti-virus fi ght: Imran marriage „ Pakistan records over 100 new infections decision [to not bring them back] halls and „ Pakistani students in Wuhan thankful for not being was the right thing to do, even evacuated: Mirza though their families were pres- suring the government to do so,” mosques DPA/Internews Britain has been badly hit by he added. Islamabad the surging infection. The health minister went on to The death toll from the viral say that China has written a new Internews infection in the UK rose to 1,019 chapter in the history of public Lahore rime Minister Imran Khan on Saturday, an increase of 260 health by putting approximately has emphasised interna- over Friday marking the single 60mn of its people under lock- Ptional co-operation in the day largest jump in the number of down. akistan Muslim League – fi ght against Covid-19, the dis- dead. There were at least 17,089 “The world has a lot to learn Nawaz (PML-N) president ease caused by the coronavirus, confi rmed cases. from China regarding the pre- Pand Opposition Leader in as he wished speedy recovery to Earlier, Foreign Minister Shah vention and control of commu- the National Assembly Shehbaz Britain’s Prime Minister Boris Mahmood Qureshi with British Mirza: We decided – it was a nicable diseases,” he said. Sharif has demanded that pa- Johnson and Prince Charles, the Secretary of State for Foreign and tough decision for us – against Expressing his gratitude to the tients suff ering from Covid-19 Prince of Wales and heir to the Commonwealth Aff airs Dominic evacuating our students from Chinese government for their be removed from mainstream British throne, both of whom Raab to discuss the global pan- Wuhan. We worked very closely co-operation by providing medi- hospitals and be placed in quar- have been infected. demic and prospects of enhanced with the Chinese government cal supplies and expertise during antine facilities to be set up in “I wish HRH Prince Charles bilateral co-operation for tack- Prime Minister Khan: This virus has hit people beyond borders. We and followed their this diffi cult time, Mirza said: “It marriage halls, schools, colleges @ClarenceHouse and PM @ ling the problem. need an internationally co-ordinated response to counter it. recommendations. is truly remarkable that out of all and mosques. BorisJohnson speedy recovery, Qureshi also expressed con- the cases reported in Pakistan, The Covid-19 disease is good health and long life. This cern over the continuing com- far of the Covid-19 disease, ac- force on science and technology. of Health (NIH) in Islamabad, not a single patient has a travel caused by the coronavirus. deadly virus #Covid-19 has hit munication blackout in India- cording to Special Assistant to The health ministry said that he said: “We decided – it was a history to China.” Presiding over a consultative people beyond borders. We need administered Kashmir, which the Prime Minister on Health Dr there were 13,324 suspected cas- tough decision for us – against “This was only achieved meeting of doctors and medical an internationally co-ordinated is depriving 8mn Kashmiris of Zafar Mirza. es. evacuating our students from through co-operation and coor- experts through a video link here response to counter it,” Khan critical information and essential The health minister said that More than 8,000 are in quar- Wuhan. We worked very closely dination between the two coun- on Saturday, Sharif said: “Coro- tweeted with the hashtag #To- medical supplies needed to eff ec- 71% of coronavirus cases in Pa- antine across the country. with the Chinese government tries,” he said. navirus testing should be made getherWeCan. tively contain the pandemic. kistan are imported, mainly pil- Pakistan’s authorities have and followed their recommenda- Earlier, NIH executive direc- free of cost with immediate ef- Johnson tested positive for He also reiterated the need to grims who returned from Iran. sealed the country’s land bor- tions. tor Major-General Aamer Ikram fect, and those who have come Covid-19 on Friday, shortly after lift sanctions against Iran, ena- Pakistan’s coronavirus infec- ders, suspended domestic and “Today, now that the disease welcomed the Chinese delega- from across the border should be participating in the extraordi- bling it to utilise its resources to tions have been increasing stead- international fl ights and intro- is spreading in Pakistan, the tion and briefed them about the mapped. nary G20 Summit held through save human lives. ily in the past week, despite the duced a nationwide lockdown, same students are thanking the coronavirus outbreak in the “There is an imperative and video-conferencing to discuss The minister highlighted that imposition of a lockdown in the which is being enforced by the government for not evacuating country. unavoidable need for a disease ways for confronting the raging debt relief for developing coun- country. police and army, to control the them and requesting us to take He said that all of NIH’s de- surveillance system, which is pandemic. tries, like Pakistan, would enable Politicians and experts have spread of the virus. care of their families in the same partments are co-ordinating currently non-existent. Prince Charles had on them to devote greater resources expressed fears of an exponen- Yesterday health minister Mir- way they were looked after by the national response activities for “Data regarding many have Wednesday disclosed that he was to fi ght the pandemic and miti- tial increase in the coming days za revealed that Pakistani stu- Chinese government.” Covid-19, adding that China has been screened and how many infected with coronavirus. gate its economic fallout. and asked the government to test dents who were stranded in the He said that when President once again shown to the world have been tested should be Both British leaders are having Yesterday Pakistan’s coro- more people. Chinese city of Wuhan, during Dr Arif Alvi, Foreign Minister that it is Pakistan’s ally. shared with the nation on a daily mild symptoms and are currently navirus infections continued to “The data coming in of pa- the peak of the country’s Cov- Qureshi, and Planning Minister After the briefi ng, the delega- basis. in self-isolation. increase, with the addition of 121 tients across the country is not id-19 outbreak, are now thanking Asad Umar visited China recent- tion visited the diff erent depart- “Hiding the facts and fi gures Johnson continues to work new cases. indicative of the true picture. The the government for not evacuat- ly, they spoke with the students ments at the NIH and discussed is not a solution but part of the from home, while Prince Charles Pakistan now has 1,526 cases real number of patients is much ing them. in Wuhan via Skype. techniques they had used to problem.” is self-isolating at a royal estate of the coronavirus. higher,” said Attaur Rheman, Briefi ng a team of doctors from “They [the students] thanked combat the spread of the corona- Sharif said that doctors and in Scotland. Thirteen people have died so head of the prime minister’s task China at the National Institute the president and said that the virus in their country. police offi cers should be trained to handle the outbreak, and that a special plan be prepared and Preventive measures help sought from China to train doctors and medical staff on how Doctors, medical staff at top to deal with the pandemic. “Even if all the needed equip- ment is provided, such inca- Karachi hospitals infected pacity will prevent optimum performance without proper training,” he added. Internews According to the offi cial, every patient In the fi rst phase, master Karachi coming to the hospital is now being treat- trainers should be created, who ed following the World Health Organisa- can then fan out extensive train- tion (WHO) and US Centre for Disease ings to consequent batches. our doctors and related medical Control and Prevention (CDC) protocols Sharif said that coronavirus staff at the top hospitals of Karachi, with regards to an epidemic. patients should not be treated Fincluding the Aga Khan University “Even doctors have been directed to as “untouchables”, but with care Hospital (AKUH) and the Liaquat National take precautionary measures,” he noted. and compassion. Hospital (LNH), have tested positive for The Aga Khan University Hospital was He said a special life and the Covid-19 disease caused by the coro- the fi rst private sector healthcare facility health insurance plan be started navirus. in Sindh to start screening and testing for for the front-line “soldiers” in Three employees of the AKUH, includ- the coronavirus back in February. this fi ght: the doctors, nurses ing a doctor and a radiologist, have con- Pakistan’s fi rst Covid-19 patient, a and the paramedics. tracted the disease, compelling the hos- 22-year-old man who had returned from Staff of the Hepatitis B and pital administration to suspend public Iran, was tested positive and treated here. C laboratories established dur- testing of the virus. Sources within the hospital said that as ing the PML-N tenure must The hospital is now screening and test- many as 10 staff members had contracted be provided with corona PCR ing AKUH doctors, paramedics, and staff the virus at the private health facility, and (polymerase chain reaction) and for the virus. that by applying the contact tracing tech- bio-safety kits, which can save Similarly, a doctor working at the Ra- nique, the hospital administration has put time in testing. diology Department of the LNH, who re- around 150 people in isolation as a precau- Prominent experts including cently returned from a religious gathering tionary measure. Dr Saeed Akhtar, Dr Naeemud- in Raiwind, has tested positive for the vi- “In view of the emergent situation, din Mian, former health direc- rus, and put in isolation at his home, the the AKUH administration has suspended tor-general Dr Zahid Pervez, Dr hospital administration said. screening and testing of coronavirus at Sajjad Rafi q, the Young Doctors “Three of our staff members – a sur- the Community Health Center in the main Association (YDA)’s Dr Salman Workers wearing protective gear spray disinfectant on a street at an Islamabad residential area during a government- geon, a radiologist, and another staff campus, and taken the decision to intro- Haseeb, Dr Numan Chauhdry, imposed nationwide lockdown as a preventative measure against the coronavirus. member – have contracted Covid-19. duce a home testing service for suspected and the Paramedical Associa- They acquired the virus from ordinary pa- virus patients,” a spokesperson of the tion’s Malik Munir attended the tients who were not showing symptoms of AKUH said. meeting. Baluchistan off icial suspended the infectious disease,” said an offi cial of “We are establishing this service, and the AKUH. within a couple of days, people would be Baluchistan Chief Minister Jam Kamal Khan Alyani has “Following the confi rmation of the apprised of an access number where they Rules issued for NGOs suspended an off icial of the Medical Store Department coronavirus infection among staff , espe- can approach the testing service for col- (MSD) for concealing surgical masks and testing kits, cially those not dealing with suspected lection of samples that would be tested at despite the health emergency in the province. and confi rmed virus cases, the hospital the labs and results conveyed online,” the Internews areas of operations (districts/ The chief minister, who also holds the portfolio of health, has suspended the screening and testing spokesperson added. Islamabad tehsils) in the country. took notice of reports about MSD Additional Director Dr of Covid-19 at its main campus, and is fo- Furthermore, after some AKUH staff Only those INGOs which Zulfiqar Ali Baloch’s activities and ordered his suspension cusing at testing the AKUH staff ,” the of- members tested positive for Covid-19, the have signed MoUs with the for negligence, in not providing surgical masks and fi cial said. hospital administration has been rapidly he interior ministry has government will be allowed to testing kits to the staff working in isolation wards at “It is the community transmission of converting a disease treatment centre at announced a Standard work as per the SOP. diff erent hospitals. the coronavirus that resulted in the infec- Karimabad into an isolation and treatment TOperating Procedure The INGOs will be required “Despite having a large quantity of masks and testing kits tion of some of our staff members. Now facility, AKUH offi cials said. (SOP) for the international to submit a project completion in the MSD, Dr Zulfiqar deliberately concealed the details an extensive screening of employees is The AKUH spokesperson said that the Sharif: There is an imperative non-governmental organisa- report, verifi ed by the NDMA/ of the available medical supplies, and didn’t provide underway, and dozens of AKUH staff have hospital is providing medical treatment to and unavoidable need for a tions (INGOs) that are already PDMAs within 15 days of the them to the staff ,” said Ali Shahwani, spokesman for the been put in isolation to contain the spread suspected and confi rmed coronavirus pa- disease surveillance system, registered and which want to completion of the project. Baluchistan government. of the disease,” the offi cial added. tients on par with international standards. which is currently non-existent. facilitate the government in The INGOs are allowed to the fi ght against the Covid-19 operate only in eight areas of pandemic. work, duly approved by the The government has de- government for the INGO sec- cided to immediately issue No tor in the country. Objection Certifi cates (NOCs) In 2015, the government put At least nine killed in rain-triggered incidents to these INGOs’ projects re- together a policy framework lating to the Covid-19 emer- to streamline and facilitate the gency, subject to their com- work of INGOs in the country. Internews ies post in Sakhakot, the roof of Rehman himself suff ered in- jured in a house collapse incident their 10-day-old son were killed. pliance with new guidelines As part of the framework, all Islamabad a mud house in Ara Dheri area of juries and was taken to the tehsil on Saturday. Topi tehsil assistant commis- announced by the government. INGOs working in the country Dargai tehsil, belonging to one headquarters hospital in Dargai. Driver Sohail Khan, who was sioner Mehran Khan and deputy No prior NOC will be re- or wishing to operate in Pa- Ghani Rehman, caved in early on The deceased were laid to rest lived with his family in a rented superintendent of police Iftikhar quired by those INGOs that are kistan were required to regis- t least nine people were Saturday. in their ancestral graveyard in Ara house in Mohallah Azadkhel of Ali Khan visited the family. already working towards Cov- ter with the ministry of inte- killed and three others in- As a result, Rehman, his wife Dheri. Topi city, told mediapersons that In Lower Dir, two girls died id-19 emergency response in rior online, and subsequently Ajured on Saturday follow- and three children were buried Assistant commissioner Mo- his wife had given birth just over early on Saturday when rocks fell collaboration with the National sign MoUs with it under the ing excessive rain in the last few alive under the rubble. hibullah Khan and member of the a week ago, and stayed in her on their mud house at Dapoor Disaster Management Author- new rules and regulations an- days in various parts of Khyber Soon after, local residents, KP Assembly (MPA) Pir Musaw- room due to continuous rain. village in Maidan and it col- ity (NDMA) and the Provincial nounced by the government. Pakhtunkhwa (KP). Levies and Rescue 1122 personnel wer Ghazi visited Rehman at the Khan said that he was sitting in lapsed, residents said. Disaster Management Author- As many as 144 INGOs had In Batkhela, four people were reached the site and retrieved the hospital. a corner of the room with his son They said that the victims ities (PDMAs). applied for the registration killed and one was injured when dead and the injured. According to local people, Re- when the roof collapsed. were identifi ed as daughters of The INGOs will be required under the new procedure, of the roof of a house collapsed in The dead are Zaitoon Bibi (34), hman’s mud house was already in Neighbours managed to rescue one Zalmy, aged 12 and 14. to submit four sets of their Plan which 75 were approved, and Dargai tehsil of Malakand dis- her son Yasin (three) and daugh- bad shape. Sohail and his son. The residents said that fi ve of Action, with explicit men- they have signed MoUs with trict. ters Zainab (four) and Alishah In Swabi, three members of a However, his wife Ayesha other people in the mud house tion of funding sources and the government. According to offi cials of Lev- (seven). family died and two others in- Khan, daughter, aged eight, and were unhurt. Gulf Times Monday, March 30, 2020 17 PHILIPPINES Healthcare groups outraged by allowance for volunteers

DPA pay 100,000 pesos if they get this point, we cannot do any- Manila sick and 1mn pesos if they die. thing about what has lapsed al- But doctors and nurses’ asso- ready,” he added. ciations have found the off er in- The Department of Health undreds of medical sulting, and urged the govern- yesterday reported 343 new workers have signed ment and private hospitals to cases, the biggest rise in a single Hup to help the Philip- hire medical workers instead of day, bringing the country’s total pine government’s fi ght against calling for volunteers, as well as to 1,418. Covid-19 despite being off ered to ensure that they have proper Three new deaths were also a small fee for a high-risk job, a protective gear. reported, pushing the death toll A fire is seen at the site where the plane crashed during takeoff at the Manila international airport, yesterday, in this still image taken from situation that has sparked out- “Do not make us the sacrifi - to 71, while 42 patients have so a social media video. rage from healthcare groups. cial lambs in this fi ght against far recovered. The Department of Health Covid-19,” said Maristela The department said the gov- apologised for causing anger Abenojar, national president of ernment was working to realign with the proposed benefi t pack- the Filipino Nurses United. budgets to allocate more funds age for the volunteers, who were “This call for volunteers is “for emergency hiring of tem- off ered an allowance of 500 pe- unjust, uncaring and exploita- porary healthcare workers, among other equally important Eight dead in medical sos ($10) for every 8-hour shift tive,” she added. “We are ready for 14 days. to help, and have actually been initiatives.” Doctor Anthony “We acknowledge the an- helping, but the work is very Dofi tas, a volunteer co-ordi- ger and hurt that our call for dangerous so we are hoping that nator at the Philippine General healthcare warriors has caused,” our lives are not just worth 500 Hospital, one of three Covid-19 centres set up by the govern- evacuation aircraft crash the department said in a state- pesos.” ment yesterday. “Defi nitely, it’s not fair,” Os- ment, said many more want to “As fellow health workers, we car Tinio, a doctor and spokes- help in the fi ght. DPA would like to off er our sincerest man for the Philippine Medical “They know how grave the Manila apologies.” Association, said of the benefi t situation is and they want to do Nearly 700 volunteers have package, noting that 12 doctors their part,” he said. “They tell signed up on the Department have so far died while treating me, to the very last breath, they chartered medical evac- of Health’s online portal since patients with Covid-19. will help.” uation fl ight crashed it was set up on Friday for doc- “We still have some other Despite concerns about their Aduring take off in the tors, nurses, orderlies and other colleagues confi ned and fi ght- personal safety amid the lack of Philippines yesterday, killing medical workers to be assigned ing the illness at this time,” he protective gear and the meagre eight people, including a Cana- in dedicated Covid-19 centres said. “Hopefully we don’t add package being off ered, Dofi - dian and an American, airport set up by the government. more to the list of deaths among tas said, “We volunteer because offi cials said. Aside from the allowance, our practitioners, our physi- this is the right thing to do. Our The Westwind aircraft was the volunteers were also off ered cians.” realisation is that time is of the taking off from Manila’s Ninoy insurance coverage that would “We’re still grieving but at essence. This is war.” Aquino International Airport when it burst into fl ames and crashed, the Manila Interna- tional Airport Authority said in a statement. “The fl ight, which was on a Actress Calzado, MMDA med-evac mission to Haneda, Japan, was carrying two pas- sengers and six crew members,” Rescuers stand next to the wreckage of a Westwind aircraft after it caught fire during takeoff at the statement said. “Unfortu- the Manila international airport, yesterday. chief test positive for virus nately, no passenger survived the accident,” it added. nor denial about the situation “The aircraft is airworthy fl ight in September 2019. Nine The two passengers were a of the passenger,” Ed Monreal, and the licenses of the pilots are people, including a couple from By Iza Iglesias 63-year-old Canadian man and MIAA general manager, said, current,” he said. “Just yester- New Zealand and a Japanese Manila Times a 58-year-old Filipino-Ameri- when asked if the evacuation day, it was in Iloilo (province) to nurse, were killed in the crash can woman, while the six Fili- was related to the coronavirus bring medical supplies and then in Laguna province, just south pinos were three pilots, a fl ight outbreak. it went back to Manila safely.” of Manila. ctress Iza Calzado and the chief of the Met- mechanic, a doctor and a nurse. Don Mendoza, deputy direc- The plane was operated by Mendoza said Lionair’s fl eet ropolitan Manila Development Authority It was unclear if one or both tor general for operations of Lionair Incorporated, a char- was being grounded due to the A(MMDA) are among the new people found passengers were being evacuat- the Civil Aviation Authority of ter fl ight operator in Manila, crash, adding, “It’s quite alarm- positive for the coronavirus disease 2019 (Cov- ed for treatment and what their the Philippines, said investiga- which was also the operator of ing, but we are looking into the id-19). condition was. tors were still determining what a Beechcraft BE-350 plane that records. Defi nitely, we’ll have a Three days after Calzado posted on Instagram “There was no confi rmation caused the accident. crashed during a med-evac thorough investigation into this.” that she is confi ned in a hospital for pneumonia, her manager Noel Ferrer announced on Satur- day afternoon that the 37-year-old actress tested positive for Covid-19. “Dear Family and Friends. Iza Calzado received her results yesterday that she tested positive for Covid,” Ferrer said on Facebook. President ‘doing fi ne’ in self-quarantine Calzado fi rst told the public of her condition by posting on Instagram a selfi e from a hospital bed, wearing an oxygen mask. She said she had taken By Catherine S Valente “He will continue with his work while the test for the coronavirus and had been waiting Actress Iza Calzado wears an oxygen mask while Manila Times on quarantine. His only birthday wish is for the results “for several days.” confined to the hospital. for our countrymen to stay home and for Ferrer said Calzado was thankful to be recover- the total eradication of the coronavirus.” ing. She can already breathe without oxygen assist- He added that he was not experiencing any alacanang assured yesterday Former presidential aide and now- ance since she had been “aggressively treated” for symptoms. “My work puts me under a lot of risk, that President Rodrigo Duterte Senator Christopher Lawrence “Bong” pneumonia. and this is part of it. I embrace this challenge with Mwas “doing fi ne” and “in good Go said Duterte would be on self-quaran- “She will be tested again to see if she is already full trust and faith in God that I will overcome the spirits” on the fi rst day of his self-quar- tine until April 7. negative. Her husband Ben (Wintle) and others same with your prayers,” Garcia said. antine. “The president will only celebrate who interacted with her have not shown any symp- Garcia is the latest government offi cial who con- Duterte, who turned 75 on Saturday, when we have fully conquered the Cov- toms,” the manager said. He added that the actress tracted the disease. Senators Juan Miguel Zubiri, isolated himself upon the recommenda- id-19 situation,” the senator said. “For did not know where she contracted the virus. Aquilino Martin “Koko” Pimentel 3rd and Juan tions of his doctors and the Presidential now, he is focused on what needs to be Ferrer reminded the public to follow doctors and Edgardo “Sonny” Angara, and Armed Forces of the Security Group after having contact with done — and I am here to always support health authorities on hand washing, proper hy- Philippines Chief of Staff Felimon Santos Jr also other public offi cials who may have been President Duterte.” giene, physical distancing and quarantine. tested positive. exposed to the coronavirus disease 2019 This is the fi rst time Duterte, a native of “Thank you to the frontliners who continue to The MMDA chief placed himself under quaran- (Covid-19). Davao City and its mayor for 23 years, will risk their lives to attend to our citizens like Iza. Let tine on Monday after being exposed to a confi rmed In a text message to Manila Times, be celebrating his birthday in Manila. us continue to pray for the healing of Iza and our Covid-19 patient in a meeting last week. Palace spokesman Salvador Panelo said Meanwhile, fellow Davao native and brothers and sisters who are most aff ected by this MMDA spokesman Celine Pialago also placed Duterte had not shown any symptoms of Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said the pandemic. God bless us all! #PrayingForIza #La- herself under quarantine after she was exposed to Covid-19. “best” birthday gift for Duterte was to banIza,” he said. the same patient. “He is doing alright. No symptoms at “defeat Covid-19.” MMDA General Manager Jose Arturo “Jojo” Gar- Meanwhile, in a text message, MMDA EDSA traf- all. I greeted him, while he was having a Duterte has not been known for throw- cia also sent a text to reporters saying, “I wish to in- fi c chief Edison “Bong” Nebrija said he would un- hearty meal,” Panelo said. ing big parties on his birthday even when form everyone that I will have to work from home as dergo self-quarantine after being exposed to Gar- “He was in good spirits. Right now, he he was mayor. He usually makes himself President Rodrigo Duterte has a meal on the I have been found positive for Covid-19.” cia. is doing some paperwork,” he added. scarce on his birthday. first day of his self-quarantine.

Medical equipment fi rms urged to give priority to domestic market

By Javier J Ismael are having a shortage of medi- Go said. Under present rules, of the outputs be deemed as Under Republic Act 11469 Manila Times cal supplies and equipment registered manufacturers are export sales, hence allowing or the “Bayanihan to Heal as to be used against Covid-19 required to export a certain these companies to continue One Act,” President Rodrigo (coronavirus disease 2019),” Go minimum percentage of their availing of duties and tax ex- Duterte is authorised to liber- enator Christopher Law- said. The lawmaker said com- daily outputs. They are entitled emptions and other incentives. alise the grant of incentives for rence “Bong” Go has ap- panies should also continue to various duties and tax ex- Go also emphasised that the manufacture of critical or Spealed to export-oriented to enjoy the fiscal incentives emptions and incentives once while donations of medical needed goods or products, in- local manufacturers of medical provided by various laws while they meet the criteria. supplies and equipment from cluding healthcare equipment supplies and equipment to re- they are selling their products This comes after the Inter- other countries were appreci- and supplies. tain most of their outputs for locally. Agency Task Force for the ated, the country could not rely “Because of the recently en- use in the Philippines. “We should not also take Management of Emerging In- on outside sources all the time. acted Bayanihan to Heal as One His call comes following a away the incentives that the fectious Diseases (IATF-EID) “While we appreciate that Act, we are giving the president scarcity of medical supplies government has granted to also recommended the tem- some countries have given us certain powers in our bid to and equipment to combat the these companies. With this, porary lifting of these export those much-needed items, we strengthen our various meas- coronavirus pandemic. we could encourage export- requirements imposed under cannot rely on outside sources ures and increase our resources “We should allow them to lo- oriented medical supply com- various laws. all the time. We need to en- in defeating Covid-19,” Go, cally sell most of their products panies to sell their products The IATF-EID has also rec- hance our own local production who chairs the Senate Com- Christopher Go: call to focus on local market here in the Philippines since we locally instead of exporting it,” ommended that local sales capability,” he said. mittee on Health, said. Gulf Times 18 Monday, March 30, 2020 COMMENT

CHAIRMAN Abdullah bin Khalifa al-Attiyah EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Faisal Abdulhameed al-Mudahka Deputy Managing Editor K T Chacko P.O.Box 2888, Doha, Qatar [email protected] 44350478 (News), 44466404 (Sport), 44466636 (Home delivery) 44350474 facebook.com/gulftimes twitter.com/gulftimes_Qatar GULF TIMES Industries take up Covid-19 challenge to make ventilators

Innovation is crucial, especially during crises. Even as the world is being turned upside down by the novel coronavirus (Covid-19), companies around are shifting production lines and business models to address the needs of governments and healthcare agencies in their eff orts to slow the spread of the pandemic. UK companies Dyson and Gtech, US auto majors General Motors (GM) and Ford, new-age electric carmaker Tesla, and Japanese auto giant Toyota have pledged to make on war-footing ventilators, which are in a desperate global short supply as more and more critically ill Covid-19 patients require safe and consistent Insuring the survival of ventilation. The Indian Institute of Technology in Kanpur is developing portable ventilators which will be signifi cantly cheaper than the ones available in the market. Both Dyson and Gtech are working on ventilator hardware, leveraging their experience building vacuums and other post-pandemic economies motor-driven airfl ow gadgets to spin up new designs and get them validated and produced as quickly as possible. Dyson is working with The Technology Partnership on a brand new By Roman Frydman and Edmund Considering the second criterion condition support for any private fi rm for World War II – a frequently invoked ventilator design called the CoVent. This design is meant to S Phelps fi rst, government injections of so- on the fi rm’s commitment to producing parallel – ever was. New York called helicopter money (direct cash vital equipment (specifi ed by a body of But such a reorganisation of our be made quickly and at high volumes, and leverages Dyson’s handouts) to help keep the population medical experts) and meet its payroll economies poses more than operational existing Digital Motor design, as well as the company’s air afl oat should be recurrent, rather than at reasonable wages. To avoid price- diffi culties, especially in the US, purifi cation products. The globally recognised appliance ockdowns of entire cities. Panic the one or two disbursements now being gouging, medical supplies must be where government has historically in fi nancial markets. Bare store discussed. Expanded unemployment priced at pre-crisis levels. strictly limited its direct intervention maker’s founder James Dyson, responding to a request from shelves. Hospitals short of beds. benefi ts, together with expanded This conditionality should not only in productive activities. Although the UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson for ventilator supplies, LThe world has entered a reality eligibility for food stamps and other apply to firms producing equipment. governments’ intervention in modern intends to fi rst fulfi l an order of 10,000 units. unknown outside wartime. such payments, would also help provide The systemic insurance approach economies takes many forms, ingrained The CoVent meets the By mandating that people isolate the means to pay for essential goods and to allocating taxpayer funds would ideas about the balance between the themselves at home, policymakers services. require that large service-sector state and the market are even now “There’s no specifi cations set out by hope to slow, and then reverse, the rate Policies aiming to stimulate companies such as airlines or hotel impeding an adequate response to this clinicians for ventilator at which Covid-19 is spreading. But a employment, such as the cuts in chains receive bailouts only if they crisis. reason why hardware, and is both bed- lockdown alone, or a burst of money corporate or payroll taxes advocated repurpose their capacity to support President Donald Trump and US creation, will not stop the pandemic by US Senate Republicans, certainly the fight against the pandemic. policymakers have thus far favoured thousands of mounted and portable with or save our economies. We need won’t help combat the pandemic and its Rather than standing idle waiting for piecemeal measures, especially when it a battery power supply, for government intervention, but many consequences for the supply of goods passenger travel to resume, airlines comes to the state directing – indeed, emergency fl exible use across a variety current proposals appear misguided, and services. Employees who are sick should be provided funds to re-equip reorganising – the private sector. Their some woefully so. Others move in the or apt to be sick, and thus a hazard their airplanes to transport medical instinctive belief in the superiority ventilators of settings, including during right direction but are too piecemeal. to others, cannot be relied upon to supplies and equipment, or to move of the market and private initiatives, patient transportation. The very possibility of millions dying maintain the production of goods and sick patients to locations with the regardless of the circumstances, can’t be made Because it uses a lightly as the economy is crippled justifi es services. capacity to care for them. Similarly, leads them to recoil from the scale of modifi ed version of Dyson’s substantially scaling up the extent and What is now painfully clear is hotel chains should be supported by government intervention needed to save each day” scope of government action. This action that there is a supply shortage of the government only if they agree our lives and livelihoods. existing Digital Motor should be viewed as an unprecedented an unprecedented type: medical to repurpose their hotels to serve as Lingering shibboleths about design, the company says that the fan units needed for its form of short-term systemic insurance equipment and facilities. And it is temporary hospitals. the state’s proper role must not production are “available in very high volume.” for our lives and livelihoods. Given equally clear that the policies under Beyond repurposing existing capacity, become roadblocks to mitigating the the absolute value we place on both, consideration in the US, which mostly systemic insurance would require that grave systemic risks that we face. Gtech, also a home appliance and vacuum maker, has citizens and governments should be rely on voluntary repurposing of employees of bailed-out companies Governments’ poor track record on received a request to build up to 30,000 ventilators in just prepared to pay what might appear an existing manufacturing capacity, continue to be paid an adequate wage. addressing another existential threat a two-week span, which promoted them to quickly set extravagantly high premium for such are woefully inadequate to close the The bailouts should not be allowed to – that of climate change – does not insurance. growing gap. be diverted to management pay raises, inspire optimism. - Project Syndicate about fi guring out what went into the design of this medical The systemic insurance that is needed Re-equipping factories to produce stock buybacks, or dividends. hardware. Gtech’s team developed a ventilator that can be made demands a government-led eff ort in ventilators for patients and personal What makes the systemic insurance zRoman Frydman, Professor of from parts easily obtained from abundant stock materials, four main areas: protective equipment (PPE) for medical unprecedented is that it requires not Economics at New York University, is zRedirecting the economy’s existing personnel, for example, takes time. just government spending – which the co-author of Imperfect Knowledge or off -the-shelf pre-assembled parts. The company says productive capacity to overcome the So these measures must be scaled up can be thought of as the cash part of Economics and Beyond Mechanical that it can spin up production of around 100 per day within rapidly growing shortages of equipment without delay. Moreover, such retooling the premium – but also large-scale Markets (Princeton University Press). a week or two, so long as it can source steel fabrication and and services required to respond requires substantial fi nancial outlays, government-led interventions in zEdmund S Phelps, the 2006 Nobel CNC machining suppliers. In addition to its own production eff ectively to the pandemic. which are hard to make in a collapsing how our economies produce and laureate in economics, is Director of the zSupporting fi rms that are not economy. distribute goods and services. This Center on Capitalism and Society at capacity, Gtech is making its ventilator designs available for directly involved in eff orts to combat In order to repurpose existing move toward state action is much more Columbia University and the author of free to the broader community in order to ramp production. the crisis, so that they can continue to capacity, the government should encompassing than the mobilisation Rewarding Work. The company says that “there’s no reason why thousands of supply essential goods and services. zEnsuring that the population has emergency ventilators can’t be made each day” in this way. suffi cient means to purchase these GM and Ford separately announced they are working with goods and services. companies to help boost ventilator production. GM and its zCreating a fi nancial facility to help those unable to pay their mortgage partner Ventec Life Systems confi rmed the No.1 US automaker and meet other obligations, thereby will build ventilators at its Kokomo, Indiana parts plant and mitigating cataclysmic risks to the ship as soon as next month. A source familiar with the plans fi nancial sector. Such systemic insurance goes well said GM would start building prototypes within two weeks beyond current proposals to spend and begin shipping “signifi cant” numbers by end of April and trillions of dollars, much of which increase production from there. Ford said it was moving as is earmarked for policy initiatives fast as it could to gear up its ventilator manufacturing eff orts. that misdiagnose the crisis as one of defi cient aggregate demand or as the Toyota Motor Corp said it was fi nalising agreements to begin result of an ordinary supply shock. working with at least two companies that produce ventilators Moreover, substantial sums are being and respirators to help increase their capacity. dedicated to bailouts without explicitly conditioning the money on a fi rm’s participation in the eff ort to combat the health crisis and its economic To Advertise consequences. So, as offi cials around the world [email protected] consider large outlays to combat the Display Covid-19 crisis, the most immediate questions that we face are whether the 44466621 44418811 policies currently under consideration provide suffi cient insurance against Classified the systemic risks that are now 44466609 44418811 mushrooming. The criteria are straightforward: Subscription zIs government spending suffi ciently laser-focused on overcoming the US President Donald Trump (left) and US Vice President Mike Pence listen during a roundtable meeting at the Federal [email protected] public-health crisis? Emergency Management Agency (Fema) headquarters in Washington, DC. The rescue package announced by the Trump zIs the economic rescue package administration includes about $500bn that can be used to back loans and assistance to companies, including $50bn for loans adequate to sustain the population’s to US airlines, as well as state and local governments. It also has more than $350bn to aid small businesses. Then there is © 2020 Gulf Times. All rights reserved wellbeing? $150bn for hospitals and other health-care providers for equipment and supplies. Gulf Times Monday, March 30, 2020 19 COMMENT Communicating across cultures and languages during Covid-19

services predates current challenges. (MoFA) to interpret and translate key tural settings at home and abroad. training programme to be led by a residents who do not count Arabic as However, thanks to training provided updates on Covid-19 into Bengali, Particular attention is paid to the doctor-translator working at the their mother tongue or lingua franca. by the Translating and Interpreting Hindi, Nepali, Sinhalese and Urdu. three mediational forms of inter- WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Accordingly, the need for highly- Institute (TII) at Hamad Bin Kha- The need for live interpreting preting in intercultural settings and Mediterranean. trained interpreting and translating lifa University (HBKU), they have and translating at this time is also work environments that are specific Qatar’s response to Covid-19 has professionals in healthcare settings seamlessly fitted into the country’s great, with the Supreme Commit- to Qatar, including the healthcare also provided TII with food-for- has never been greater. The same is strategies for keeping residents safe, tee for Crisis Management and the sector. The programme also offers thought. As things stand, complex also true for interpreters engaged in healthy and informed. Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) elective courses on the use of digital civil emergencies and contin- public awareness campaigns organ- In some respects, it very much providing daily updates and press technologies to achieve effective gency planning are not features ised by the Ministry of Interior and remains business as usual for conferences. From there, inter- intercultural communication. These of its course content. This must others. In both instances, TII is proud language professionals working in preters are essential features of include Qatar Computing Research change. Fortunately, interpret- to have contributed to Qatar’s efforts Qatar’s healthcare sector. Despite dialogue between Qatar’s relevant Institute’s (QCRI) Advanced Tran- ers and translators working within to confront Covid-19. the challenges posed by Covid-19, government ministries and re- scription System (QATS), which the country’s health sector appear residents continue to experience gional representatives for the World uses deep learning technologies to to have adapted quickly to what is z Mazen Alfarhan is a reviser and and suffer from other ailments for Health Organisation (WHO). convert speech to text. proving to be a very fluid situation. trainer at Translation and Interpret- which a full range of interpret- Irrespective of where they are cur- Language professionals work- Looking ahead, TII is determined to ing Institute (TII), which forms part of ing and translation services are rently working, a significant number ing in Qatar’s healthcare settings strengthen their capabilities with the College of Humanities and Social required. Accordingly, the need of Qatar’s healthcare interpret- benefit from TII’s ability to provide relevant training and development Sciences (CHSS) at Hamad Bin Kha- for accurate language services at ers and translators have benefited extensive sector-specific training. opportunities. lifa University (HBKU). Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) from graduate and training courses This revolves exclusively around Now more than ever, patients z This article is submitted on be- and other key locations remains developed and provided by HBKU. the interpreting and translating of have the right to be informed about half of the author by the HBKU Com- unabated. That said, Covid-19 has These include TII’s Master of Arts in medical and health-related content. medical conditions and the treat- munications Directorate. The views By Mazen Alfarhan nevertheless prompted adjustments Translation Studies (MATS), a two- Learning is broken down into four ment that healthcare professionals expressed are the author’s own and do to workloads. Conveying informa- year programme designed to train categories: diseases and disor- provide. This applies as much to Qa- not necessarily reflect the University’s tion between medical staff, patients translators working across the public ders, anatomical terminology and tar’s indigenous population as those official stance. he need for accurate lan- and individuals in quarantine has and private sector, as well as interna- translation resources; clinical and guage services at Qatar’s undoubtedly increased in inten- tional organisations. In 2014, MATS therapeutics, with a focus on imag- healthcare facilities has sity, most notably when it comes to obtained validation from the Univer- ing and pathology reports; forensic About Hamad Bin Khalifa University Tnever been greater. Fortu- treatment and prevention. sity of Geneva, which also awarded medicine and toxicology, with a nately, HBKU’s TII has helped the Many of Qatar’s interpreters TII with the Faculty of Translation focus on medico-legal reports; Innovating Today, Shaping Tomorrow country’s interpreters and translators and translators are also likely to and Interpreting (FTI) Quality Label. and public health reports, medical adapt to the linguistic and cultural be engaged in more public-facing Such validation on both fronts also brochures and patient information Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), pacity through an enriching academic challenges posed by Covid-19. activities, including the development underpins TII’s reputation for pro- leaflets. a member of Qatar Foundation for Ed- experience, innovative ecosystem, While doctors, nurses and of materials that raise awareness of ducing interpreting and translating However, what makes this training ucation, Science, and Community De- and unique partnerships. HBKU deliv- other healthcare professionals are Covid-19 among the wider popula- professionals who meet internation- truly credible is that course leaders velopment (QF), was founded in 2010 ers multidisciplinary undergraduate on the frontline of efforts to tackle tion. Given the country’s vast expat ally recognised standards. are both professors of translation as a research-intensive university that and graduate programs through its Covid-19, they are being ably sup- community, this activity requires More recently, TII rolled out and qualified medical doctors. For acts as a catalyst for transformative colleges, and provides opportunities ported by a cast of thousands who professionals with knowledge of its Master of Arts in Intercultural instance, one of TII’s offerings was change in Qatar and the region while for research and scholarship through are experts in their own fields. These common languages and cultural Communication (MAICC), the first led by a certified medical translator having a global impact. Located in its institutes and centers. For more include interpreters and translators, norms on each continent. In this degree program of its kind in Qatar. with diplomas in clinical pharmacol- Education City, HBKU is committed information about HBKU, visit www. two professions whose importance to respect, TII was recently requested Students will gain a deeper un- ogy and public health services. TII to building and cultivating human ca- hbku.edu.qa. the smooth running of Qatar’s public by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs derstanding of changing intercul- was also planning a short medical

Toward a 2021 Tokyo Olympics Three-day forecast TODAY discussing plans to reopen them easier to command the narrative, flop. Far more competitors and Maximum Temperature : 280c By Bill Emmott Minimum Temperature : 210c Dublin for the new academic year starting and to make it appear as though visitors are likely to attend now that in April; universities are making the decision was not only your the event has been postponed to next TUESDAY similar plans. While there is a heated idea, but also a good thing in itself. year, when people will probably feel Maximum Temperature : 290c ith the global Covid-19 debate over the wisdom of reopening And, in Japan’s case, rescheduling comfortable travelling again. Minimum Temperature : 190c crisis quickly escalat- these facilities, the fact is that the the Olympics really is a good thing To be sure, given the rescheduling WEDNESDAY ing, Japanese Prime country had only 1,140 confirmed considering the circumstances. The costs, a 2021 Tokyo Olympic and Maximum Temperature : 310c WMinister Shinzo Abe Covid-19 cases and just 42 deaths alternative would have been either Paralympic Games might not be as Minimum Temperature : 220c has had to accept a hard truth, from the disease as of March 24. to host a stunted, inadequate, poorly financially beneficial as the 2020 Fisherman's forecast rightly taking the initiative in telling Compared to other large, densely attended Games amid a barrage of Games promised to be. But that the Diet (parliament) this week that populated countries, Japan has been criticism, or to have a cancellation promise is now dead. It is thus in the Tokyo Summer Olympic Games pretty successful in containing the or postponement forced upon you by everyone’s interest to look to the WARNING Inshore : Strong wind expected may need to be rescheduled, and ul- outbreak. others. future. Japan has an opportunity at places daytime timately reaching an agreement with The issue, rather, was that the The Covid-19 crisis could be next year to host a spectacular Offshore : Strong wind and high the International Olympic Commit- rest of the world would not have Abe’s last chance to shore up his celebration not merely of its own sea tee (IOC) to postpone the event until been able to attend, whether as legacy. By proposing a postponement recovery, but of the world’s. WEATHER 2021. (The IOC had given itself four competitors or as spectators. With before the IOC concluded its By taking the initiative now, Inshore : Moderate temperature weeks to decide what to do.) less than four months to go before deliberations (and before other Abe – along with Tokyo Governor daytime with some clouds and slight dust Until recently, Abe’s reluctance the planned opening ceremony on countries announcing boycotts made Yuriko Koike – has set an example to blowing dust at to delay the Games was July 24, the pandemic disrupted the decision for him), he presented for the world, placing Japan at the places at times understandable. The 2020 Olympics training and final preparations, as himself as both a statesman and a vanguard of the global recovery from WIND and Paralympics have long been well as the qualification rounds for responsible international leader. the Covid-19 crisis. Postponing the Inshore : Northwesterly 05-15 KT billed as a chance for Japan to national teams. Moreover, there was Delaying what is by definition a Games is a gesture of solidarity in Offshore : Northwesterly 12-22/28 demonstrate to the world how well it almost no chance that among the global event must be seen as an act the present and offers hope for the KT has recovered from the devastating thousands of athletes who would of international solidarity. Even future. People around the world can Visibility : 4-8/3 KM earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear have come to Japan to compete, if Japan does go ahead and reopen now look forward to a time when Offshore : 4-7/9 FT meltdown of 2011, and to showcase and their support teams, none its schools and other institutions, they can gather once again in the its diversity and openness to often- would be carrying the virus. Add Abe can still say, “We are making a spirit of athletic competition and skeptical outsiders. To postpone or in the visiting spectators and you sacrifice so that the world can defeat the pursuit of human excellence. Not Around the region cancel the Games will be a big – and would have had a recipe for another the pandemic more swiftly.” only was delaying the event the right Weather very costly – disappointment. outbreak. Better yet, a postponement won’t thing to do; it is also in Japan’s own Weather tomorrow But that previous calculus was For all these reasons, the 2020 actually be a sacrifice, because it is interest. – Project Syndicate today Max/min Max/min P Cloudy overturned. The problem was not Olympics were a lost cause. making the best of a bad situation. Baghdad P Cloudy 23/12 27/17 Sunny a lack of preparedness on Japan’s Politically, when something becomes At this point, any Games held in z Bill Emmott, a former editor in Kuwait City Sunny 28/16 28/18 Sunny part. After closing all schools on inevitable, accepting it sooner 2020 – even much later in the year chief of The Economist, is the author Manama Sunny 26/19 27/20 Sunny March 2, the government is already rather than later makes it much – would have been an embarrassing of The Fate of the West. Muscat M Sunny 29/22 28/22 Tehran S Showers 17/06 Sunny 16/07

Live issues Berlin artists’ colony fi nds creative answer to shutdown

into a recording studio. “Perhaps, as artists, we have a For jobbing actors and musicians AFP Around the world Berlin Outside in a common area, diff erent relationship with the highs or for painters who have seen their comedian Cornelia Schoenwald is and lows of existence. exhibitions postponed or cancelled, Weather Weather sitting on a bench, reading aloud We are more used to them,” she the Covid-19 crisis is an existential today Max/min tomorrow Max/min n her sun-soaked Berlin living from a short story by Erich Kaestner, added, referring to the precarious one. Athens P Cloudy 18/11 P Cloudy 19/08 room, Ingrid Ihnen-Haas belted a classic of German children’s nature of work as an artist. “Those who work only two or three Beirut P Cloudy 20/14 Showers 18/14 out Edith Piaf songs into a micro- literature. The artists’ colony in Wilmersdorf days a week have no fi nancial reserves. Bangkok P Cloudy 36/28 Sunny 38/28 Iphone — part of a collective eff ort Her reading, accompanied by the was founded in 1927 when two artists’ A social crisis is brewing,” Sekula said. Berlin M Sunny 15/01 M Sunny 15/03 to help entertain a country confi ned chirping of sparrows, is being fi lmed associations bought three buildings Despite their own worries, the Cairo Sunny 29/15 P Cloudy 24/12 to their homes by the coronavirus by Christian Sekula, one of the leaders and turned them into aff ordable residents of the complex will continue Cape Town P Cloudy 23/13 P Cloudy 22/15 pandemic. of the association that manages accommodation for the city’s to support each other and provide the Colombo P Cloudy 32/25 M Sunny 32/26 “Especially for elderly people who cultural life in the colony. musicians, actors and writers. small services that make up the fabric Dhaka Sunny 38/24 Sunny 38/24 have to stay at home, the concept He will later edit the recording Back then, the arts were thriving in of community life. Hong Kong P Cloudy 24/21 P Cloudy 23/18 of ‘concerts in your living room’ is and put it up on the website of the Berlin, with theatres and nightclubs “The last guy who moved in went Istanbul Sunny 16/08 P Cloudy 15/07 brilliant,” said Ihnen-Haas, 71. association, which usually stages plays buzzing with scenes like those from out to get me some drinks,” said Jakarta S T Storms 31/25 S T Storms 32/25 With concert halls, restaurants and other cultural activities. the musical “Cabaret.” Gerda Schulz, an 82-year-old retired Karachi Sunny 27/20 P Cloudy 29/19 and most shops shut, public life in “Right now I don’t have any The cluster of 80 homes comprises fl amenco dancer who is currently only London P Cloudy 13/04 M Cloudy 12/03 Germany has ground to a halt as the bookings,” said Schoenwald, whose inner courtyards where bright yellow going out once a day for an early- Manila P Cloudy 35/25 Sunny 36/26 population is urged to stay home to calendar quickly emptied as Berlin’s daff odils add a splash of colour to the morning walk. Moscow P Cloudy 13/01 P Cloudy 15/04 help contain the spread of the virus. cultural life came to a standstill over 1920s architecture. Meanwhile, Ihnen-Haas continues New Delhi S Showers 26/17 Sunny 29/18 Ihnen-Haas and fellow residents the past few weeks. Nobel Prize winning German to belt out songs from her living room, New York S Showers 18/07 Showers 11/08 of an “artists’ colony” in southwest But far from lamenting her fate, author Guenther Grass lived not far blue glasses and dishevelled hair Paris M Sunny 14/06 P Cloudy 16/04 Berlin have joined voices to record she’s convinced there are benefi ts from here, as did philosopher Hannah completing her look. Sao Paulo M Sunny 28/17 P Cloudy 29/18 albums, audiobooks or readings to to this time when everyone is being Arendt, before she was expelled by the There may be no live performances, Seoul P Cloudy 16/03 M Cloudy 13/-1 share online. forced to take their foot off the pedal. Nazis. no club nights and no can-can girls in Singapore T Storm 32/26 P Cloudy 33/26 The former social worker who sings It’s “enriching because it allows us The homes are still reserved for Berlin today. Sydney P Cloudy 21/17 P Cloudy 22/17 regularly in small venues across the to focus on what’s really important,” artists and intellectuals, active or But in Wilmersdorf, at least, life is Tokyo Cloudy 13/04 Cloudy 17/07 capital has now turned her living room she said. retired, with a modest income. still a cabaret. Gulf Times 20 Monday, March 30, 2020 QATAR Match Day win for WCM-Q students

inal-year medical students tari national, Abdulla al-Mulla of Weill Cornell Medicine matched at Virginia Common- F- Qatar (WCM-Q) have se- wealth University Health System cured residencies at some of the in Richmond Virginia, where he world’s most renowned academic will join the paediatrics residen- health centres to continue their cy programme. training after they graduate in Abdulla said: “Finding out May, it was announced yesterday. where I had matched was quite The medical students matched an overwhelming experience. at residency training pro- I am so happy to have matched grammes at leading healthcare at VCU and really looking for- institutions in Qatar and the US, ward to starting the next chapter including Hamad Medical Cor- in my life, but at the same time poration (HMC), NewYork-Pres- I’m a little sad that a very happy byterian/Weill Cornell Medical chapter at WCM-Q in drawing Centre, Icahn School of Medicine to a close. I’ve had a really great at Mount Sinai in New York City, time here and I know I’ll miss it Case Western/University Hos- a lot.” pital Cleveland, Cedars-Sinai The annual Match Day event, Medical Center/University of which pairs soon-to-graduate California, Los Angles (UCLA), medical students with residency and the Johns Hopkins Hospital training programmes, is highly in Baltimore, Maryland, among competitive. This year more than others. 40,000 US and international ap- The 32 students of WCM-Q’s plicants submitted programme Class of 2020 who matched will choices for 37,256 available posi- Final-year medical students of Weill Cornell Medicine – Qatar (WCM-Q) with off icials. join their residency programmes tions. in the fall to begin training in Likewise, gaining acceptance plete their residency training at fessional Development. “We are said. “Similarly, many alumni for matching at truly excellent ment and patient care demon- their chosen specialities, which to the highly regarded residency elite institutions in Qatar and extremely fortunate that many of who go the US for their residen- institutions in Qatar and the US.” strated by the Class of 2020. I this year are dermatology, general programmes at HMC requires the US frequently go on to work our graduates join the excellent cies return to Qatar after com- Dr Javaid Sheikh, dean of off er them my warmest congrat- surgery, internal medicine, inter- extremely high levels of aca- in the healthcare sector in Qatar, residency programmes at HMC pletion, which also gives the local WCM-Q, congratulated the stu- ulations for achieving matches ventional radiology, neurology, demic achievement and clinical explained Dr Thurayya Arayssi, and then become local consult- healthcare sector a great boost. dents: “We are immensely proud as such prestigious institutions ophthalmology, otolaryngology, excellence. senior associate dean for Medical ants making huge contributions I extend my most sincere con- of the unstinting pursuit of ex- and I look forward to seeing them paediatrics and psychiatry. Qa- WCM-Q alumni who com- Education and Continuing Pro- to the health of the nation,” she gratulations to the Class of 2020 cellence in academic achieve- thrive in their new roles.”

MoI reiterates ban Precautions to take at grocery store Disinfection drive

new advisory posted on the on gatherings Ministry of Public Health A(MoPH)’s social media plat- forms explains how people can „Gathering for prayer in front protect themselves while shopping of mosques, on roofs of houses and for groceries. It lists various dos and don’ts for the public, as well buildings, or in any other place, is as when to avoid going to a store to shop for groceries. prohibited Following are the tips provided „All kinds of gatherings are in the advisory: „ Limit grocery store visits to prohibited on Corniche, beaches and only one person and avoid taking in front of restaurants and cafeterias children. „ If your household workers are doing the shopping, explain the he Ministry of Interior (MoI) has issued an awareness precautionary measures to them. poster in multiple languages, reiterating the ban on „ Make a grocery list prior to Tgatherings in the country. leaving your house. Violations will be penalised with jail terms and/or fines, „ To reduce the number of vis- when entering your PIN number. „ When you fi nish storing the the MoI said. The advisory reminded people that all kinds of its, purchase enough groceries to „ Use an alcohol-based hand products, wash your hands with gatherings are prohibited on the Corniche, beaches, in public last 1-2 weeks, but do not over- sanitiser (60% alcohol) immedi- soap and water or use an alcohol- places and in front of restaurants and cafeterias. purchase to leave stocks for others. ately after you leave the grocery based hand sanitiser. Gathering for congregational prayer in front of mosques or „ Ensure that you always leave store. The advisory also states that a on the roofs of houses and buildings, or in any other place, is a distance of at least 1.5m between „ Place grocery bags in the person should avoid going grocery also prohibited as a means of protection and to ensure safety, yourself and others. trunk of the car and not on the shopping if s/he is experiencing the MoI points out. „Ensure that you disinfect carts seats. any fl u-like symptoms such as Anybody violating these instructions will face imprison- and baskets prior to use, or wear „ When you reach home, dis- coughing, sneezing and fever; suf- ment for a period not exceeding three years and a fine of up disposable gloves and throw them pose of the grocery bags imme- fers from any chronic condition to QR200,000, or any of the two, the ministry noted. Adher- in a trash bin immediately after diately and wash the purchased or low immunity; or is an elderly Al Shamal Municipality’s Cleanness Section has continued ence to the health and preventive measures will ensure pro- use. items. person. its sanitisation and disinfection campaign of the key areas tection “for yourself and your family” and also contribute to „ Avoid touching your nose, „ Ensure to disinfect and wipe For more information on Cov- and facilities under its jurisdiction. The same has been the “security of the society”, it added. mouth and eyes while shopping. the surfaces that were in contact id-19, one can visit the ministry’s done by Al Sheehaniya Municipality as well to ensure public The poster has been issued in several languages for the „Use electronic forms of pay- with the grocery bags, as well as the website at www.moph.gov.qa or health. benefit of the public. ment instead of cash. Use a tissue products you purchased. call 16000. QDL off ers insight into mid-20th century locust saga

ascinating documents on Qatar Digital Library (QDL) Freveal details of a little- known, but signifi cant battle against locust swarms in mid-20th century, according to a statement yesterday. Locust plagues have been around from time immemorial; the Holy Qur’an and The Bible tell they were one of the fi ve plagues infl ict- ed on Ancient Egypt. They were thought to have been relegated to history, but this year they reap- peared, this time wreaking havoc in Schistocerca gregaria, the desert locust, taken from James Augustus the Horn of Africa. St John’s account of his travels in Egypt and Nubia, published in 1845. Billions of locusts have been causing turmoil in Kenya and ing the considerable degree of in- the Arabian Peninsula, covering Uganda for several months, bring- ternational co-operation that was 40 miles a day, searching for and ing devastation to crops and liveli- required to defeat these creatures poisoning the locusts’ countless hoods in what is believed to be the in a battle the Allies could not af- breeding grounds. worst infestation since 1942. Lo- ford to lose. These vehicle detachments were custs also teem through the Gulf Dr James Onley, Director of comparable in organisation to the region annually between January Historical Research and Partner- Allies’ famous Long Range Desert and April, and there was under- ships at Qatar National Library, Patrol Group that operated behind standable concern when sporadic explained how “The Allies consid- enemy lines in North Africa. They sightings were made in Qatar over ered their anti-locust campaign in were supported by transport and the winter months. Thankfully, the the Middle East to be second only spotter aircraft from the Royal Air Gulf region was unaff ected. in importance to their campaign Force and US Army Air Force, as But, as historical documents against the enemy. MEALU or- well as by a vast intelligence net- available on the Qatar Digital Li- ganised a series of annual military work that gathered reports of lo- brary (QDL) reveal, this was not operations to fi nd and extermi- cust sightings. the case in 1942, when World War nate the locusts’ breeding grounds But not all members of the II was into its third year and Allied in Arabia. These operations were MEALU patrolled by vehicle. The Kitāb na‘t al-hayawān (Bestiary describing the characteristics and forces were fi ghting a losing battle hugely successful and made an im- unit’s most famous member, the medical uses of a large number of animals). against the Axis powers in North portant contribution towards win- English explorer and travel writer, Africa. ning the war in the Middle East. It’s Wilfred Thesiger, who worked As a result of the MEALU’s re- Dr Onley added that, “The QDL These records, from the British a fascinating story of man versus as a MEALU locust research of- markable eff orts, there were no is changing the way scholars and Library, tell how, early that year, the nature.” fi cer, trekked across the Empty major outbreaks of locust swarms students research the history of Gulf region experienced a locust MEALU staff numbered in the Quarter in 1946 by camel with a for the remainder of the war, and the Arabian Peninsula and the Gulf plague on such an immense scale hundreds, comprised British Army small Bedouin party to gather in- the vital supplies of food remained region. that the Allies feared a catastroph- personnel and British and Arab ci- telligence about locust breeding unaff ected, helping the Allies de- It has become their fi rst port of Correspondence, reports and other papers relating to eff orts, ic food shortage that could lose vilians. They wore traditional Arab grounds. The journey was long and feat the Axis powers in the Middle call, enabling them to fi nd in sec- undertaken by representatives of the Middle East Anti-Locust Unit them the war in the Middle East. headdress: the offi cers wearing a arduous, a triumph of man over East. onds what used to take them weeks, (MEALU) in 1942. In response, Britain established white ghutrah with a gold ‘agal, the nature. He later published an ac- This incredible, but largely months, or even years. It is making the Middle East Anti-Locust Unit others wearing a red-and-white count of his mission in ‘Arabian unknown, story is just one ex- the past more accessible than ever, With over 1.9mn pages of histor- Gulf history and Arab/Islamic sci- (MEALU) to eradicate the locusts. shemagh and black ‘agal. Sands’ (1959), a celebrated classic ample of thousands that await leading to a sharp increase in the ical records, the QDL is the world’s ence. Learn more about this topic The documents on the QDL tell They were divided into vehicle of travel literature, and one of the discovery on the QDL: www. number of exciting new historical largest digital archive on the Mid- on the QDL by visiting: www.qdl. of the accomplishments of MEALU detachments, which patrolled vast greatest stories of man versus the qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/ studies on the Gulf––the least- dle East. It provides free online ac- qa/en/forgotten-war-against-lo- during the war and after, includ- stretches of territory throughout desert ever written. vdc_100000000193.0x0000d3. studied region in the Middle East.” cess to a wealth of information on custs-helped-win-war