GOVT IN TALKS WITH ADB FOR SRI LANKA IS FACING A US$300MN CREDIT, MORE FROM DIFFERENT KIND OF CRISIS APRIL CHINA’S AIIB, FRANCE’S AFD 24 - 26, 2020 VOL: 4- ISSUE 192 HERBS MOST WANTED . IMAMS OVERRULE PAKISTAN’S 30 CORONAVIRUS LOCKDOWN BUSINESS PAGE 02 HOT TOPICS PAGE 04 COMMENTARY PAGE 06 SRI LANKA FOCUS PAGE 08

Registered in the Department of Posts of Sri Lanka under No: QD/144/News/2020 COVID-19 and curfew in Pompeo says US may Sri Lanka never restore WHO • In a biggest jump so far, 38 people, including 30 navy person- nel from Welisara Navy camp, were confirmed as COVID-19 funds positive yesterday (23), taking Sri Lanka’s tally of the novel coronavirus infection to 368. Two hundred and fifty four in- WASHINGTON - US Secretary of State Mike dividuals are receiving treatment, 107 have been deemed com- Pompeo said a fundamental reform of the World pletely recovered and seven have succumbed to the virus. Health Organization (WHO) was needed following • The Director General of Health Services empowers the Act- its handling of the coronavirus pandemic and that the ing IGP to order the arrest of those found violating quarantine United States, the WHO’s biggest donor, may never regulations during non-curfew hours. Violators can face up to restore funding to the UN body. six months in prison and or a fine. As Pompeo launched fresh attacks on the UN body • Authorities set up 262 police checkpoints at district board- late Wednesday (22), Democrats in the US House of ers to prevent travel between districts except for essential ser- Representatives accused the Trump administration vices. of trying to “scapegoat” the WHO to distract from its • The Ministry of Health decides to authorize private hospi- handling of the coronavirus outbreak. tals to carry out Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) in a bid In a letter to President Donald Trump, they called to broad base the testing and increase capacity to 1000 tests for the immediate restoration of US funding, which per day. Trump suspended last week accusing the WHO of be- • Those with suspected COVID-19 symptoms are urged to call ing “China-centric” and of promoting China’s “disin- 1390 - emergency hotline- set up for free medical advice and formation” about the outbreak. assistance, and to facilitate hospital admissions. Pompeo told Fox News late on Wednesday there • The Ministry of Passenger Transport bans public transport needed to be “a structural fix of the WHO” to correct between districts except for essential services. its “shortcomings.” -Twelve villages at Lankapura in Polonnaruwa are isolated af- Asked if he was not ruling out a change in leader- ter an individual from the area was confirmed as a COVID-19 ship of the WHO, Pompeo replied: “Even more than on Wednesday (22). that, it may be the case that the United States can • Cabinet Ministers say they will donate a month’s salary to never return to underwriting, having U.S. taxpayer the COVID-19 Healthcare and Social Security Fund main- dollars go to the WHO.” tained by the Presidential Secretariat. Over 5000 employees The WHO has denied the Trump administration’s of the CEYPETCO and Ceylon Petroleum Storage Terminal charges and China insists it has been transparent and Ltd., also decide to contribute a day’s salary amounting to Rs. open. 14.2 million to the Fund. The United States has been the biggest overall do- nor to the WHO, contributing over $400 million in 2019, roughly 15% of its budget. Senior US officials last week said Washington could redirect these funds Coronavirus toll to other aid groups. 183,707 deaths at -Agencies 1100 GMT yesterday As Ramadan looms PARIS- The worldwide death toll from the novel coronavirus pandemic rose to 183,707 yesterday (23), according to a tally from Health threats, floods official sources compiled by AFP at 1100 GMT. More than 2,636,740 declared cases have been registered in 193 compound Yemen's despair countries and territories since the epidemic first emerged in China SANA’A - Millions of Yemenis are entering the in December. Of these cases, at least 696,700 are now considered Muslim holy month of Ramadan facing a years-long recovered. The tallies, using data collected by AFP from national conflict, floods and health threats. authorities and information from the World Health Organization During Ramadan, set to start today (24), observant (WHO), probably reflect only a fraction of the actual number of Muslims abstain from eating, drinking and smoking infections. Many countries are testing only the most serious cases. -The Duchess of Cambridge / KENSINGTON PALACE / AFP from dawn to dusk. In the United States, now the worst-hit country, the death toll In the run-up, Yemen has confirmed at least one stood at 46,785 with 842,624 infections. At least 76,614 patients Britain's Prince Louis of Cambridge, who celebrated lovely messages on Prince Louis’s second birthday.” case of the new coronavirus and a cholera outbreak, have recovered. Italy is the next most affected country with 25,085 his second birthday yesterday (23) enjoying a Clarence House, the residence of Prince Charles and straining the impoverished country's already rickety deaths and 187,327 confirmed infections. colourfully messy moment, in a photograph taken by wife Camilla, shared birthday wishes from them, along health system. It is followed by Spain with 22,157 fatalities and 213,024 con- his mother, Britain's Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge. with a sweet black-and-white photo of Louis sharing Half of Yemen's health facilities are not functioning firmed infections, France with 21,340 deaths and 155,860 infec- Kate Middleton and Prince William shared adorable a hug with his grandfather. It’s likely that the family’s and just this week 500 cholera cases were reported in tions and Britain with 18,100 deaths and 133,495 cases. new portraits of the youngest of their three children, exchanged birthday wishes over the phone, as the 24 hours in one hospital in the capital Sana'a, the In- China - excluding Hong Kong and Macau - has to date declared who had rainbow-coloured paints on his hands, on Duke and Duchess of Cambridge told BBC Breakfast ternational Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said 4,632 deaths and 82,798 cases. Europe has listed 1,276,161 cas- Wednesday (22) night. The photos were taken earlier last week that they’ve begun video chatting with their in a report yesterday (23). es and 113,855 deaths to date, the US and Canada together have this month by Kate, at the family’s home in Anmer Hall. relatives amid the coronavirus pandemic. “It’s been a "Yemenis cope with so much hardship every day," 882,814 cases with 48,859 deaths, Asia 182,737 cases with 7,495 The palace also released some behind-the-scenes really good way of keeping in touch and seeing each Franz Rauchenstein, the head of the ICRC delegation deaths, the Middle East 138,672 cases with 5,992 deaths, Latin pictures that looked a little more realistic � showing other,” William told the BBC. Kate added, “I think your in Sana'a, said. America and the Caribbean 122,620 cases with 6,166 deaths, Af- Louis with that same rainbow paint all over his cheeks. father, and my parents and our families ... have really "Ongoing fighting in parts of the country causes rica 25,796 cases with 1,243 deaths and Oceania 7,943 cases with “Instagram Vs Reality,” the palace cheekily tweeted, loved keeping in touch with the children, because they daily despair, seasonal infectious diseases claim 97 deaths. alongside side-by-side photos of Louis that included know it’s really hard thousands of lives each year and high inflation is af- -AFP one of his painted-covered face. “Thank you for your fecting the price of food, medicine and other basic goods," he added. "Yemen's hospitals are already under significant UN warns pressure, even without the threat of coronavirus," Avril Patterson, the ICRC health coordinator for Yemen, said. "The beginning of Ramadan this year coincides with the onset of the rainy season and the associated Coronavirus pandemic becoming a seasonal increase in infectious diseases, including cholera, diphtheria and dengue," she added. Over the past two weeks, several parts of Yemen have been lashed by torrential rains, affecting thou- human rights crisis sands of people. -dpa UNITED NATIONS - The coronavirus pandem- tain communities through the rise of hate speech, back or deported to dangerous environments since ic must not be used as a pretext for authoritarian the targeting of vulnerable groups and the risks of the crisis began. Refugees, IDPs [internally dis- states to trample over individual human rights, or heavy handed security responses undermining the placed persons] and migrants live in overcrowded repress the free flow of information, the UN sec- health response”. In its new report on COVID-19 conditions with unlimited access to sanitation and WHO says retary general AntónioGuterres warned yesterday and human rights, the UN highlighted the use of healthcare”. The UN pointed out that sometimes (23) in a fresh attempt to bring the UN’s influence phrases such as “foreigner’s disease” to describe the under the pretext of fake news, journalists, doc- ‘Unimaginable human to bear on the crisis. He said what had started as a virus, saying such remarks can lead to discrimina- tors, healthcare workers and activists or political public health emergency was rapidly turning into a tion, xenophobia, racism and attacks. Releasing the opposition were being arrested. Online surveillance tragedy' in Europe's care human rights crisis. report, Guterres called for any states of emergency and aggressive cyber policy were on the increase. Government responses to the crisis have been re- to be proportionate and time-limited, with a spe- “Sweeping efforts to eliminate misinformation or garded as disproportionate in countries including cific focus and duration. disinformation can result in purposeful or uninten- homes China, India, Hungary, Turkey and South Africa. Freedom of movement needed to be curtailed, he tional censorship which underpins trust,” it said. COPENHAGEN -The World Health Organization Guterres has already called for a global ceasefire, accepted, but he said the scale of such restrictions The best solution, Guterres said, was for govern- (WHO) said yesterday (23) that Europe's care homes and has warned of a growth in domestic violence can be reduced by effective testing and targeted ments to be open and transparent about their ef- were the scene of an "unimaginable human tragedy," as a result of the virus, but the UN collectively has quarantine measures. He reported over 131 coun- forts to constrain the virus, including by allowing with deaths there accounting for 50% or more in been criticized for failing to have an impact in the tries have closed their borders, with only 30 allow- their opposition or civil society groups to scrutinize some countries. crisis. In his latest intervention, he warned “the ing exemptions for asylum seekers. Thousands, the the executive online. The WHO regional director for Europe, Hans virus is having a disproportionate impact on cer- UN said in its briefing paper, “have been pushed -The Guardian Kluge, called the situation "deeply concerning." Speaking at a weekly press conference, Kluge said es- timates from some European countries showed that "up to half of those who have died from COVID-19 Trending News were residents in long-term care facilities." As of Quote for Today April 13, of the 444 deaths in Ireland, 245 (55.2 per- Switzerland: Researchers say they Either I will find a way, or I will make members were allowed at his side and no tionwide lockdown to fight the coronavi- cent) were linked to long-term care facilities, accord- one. have begun collecting blood samples and funeral was held. rus pandemic. ing to figures sent to AFP by the WHO. In France, as -Philip Sidney interviewing people across the country to France: With a new research showing Madagascar: Unarmed soldiers go of April 15, 49.4% of deaths were linked to care facili- Word for Today determine what proportion of the popu- nicotine could protect people from con- from door-to-door in the capital Anta- ties. Kluge stressed that there was "an immediate and lation has antibodies to the novel corona- tracting the coronavirus, the country nanarivo, doling out sachets of a local urgent need to rethink and adjust how long-term care Fardel [fahrdl] – noun- Archaic. a bun- virus, and their level of immunity. plans further trials to test whether the herbal tea touted by President AndryRa- facilities operate." This included prioritizing screen- dle; burden Sri Lanka: Authorities isolate a navy substance could be used to prevent or joelina as a powerful remedy against the ing, equipping health workers and organizing special camp near the capital Colombo after 30 treat the deadly illness. novel coronavirus. units for COVID-19 patients, even before first cases Today in History sailors test positive for the coronavirus. Iran: The Revolutionary Guards chief WHO: The world health body warns the are reported. "Even among very old people who are frail and live 1184 BC - The Greeks enter Troy using Canada: Police radio dispatches, aired warns the US of a "decisive response" new coronavirus pandemic could severe- the Trojan Horse (traditional date) by local media, reveal the chaos of a 14- after President Donald Trump said he ly disrupt access to anti-malaria nets and with multiple chronic conditions, many have a good hour manhunt for a killer impersonating ordered the US Navy to destroy Iranian drugs in sub-Saharan Africa. chance of recovery if they are well-cared for," Kluge said. Nearly half of all reported cases of the new Today is... a policeman in the country’s worst ever boats that harass American ships in the China: Beijing announces it will give mass shooting. Gulf. coronavirus worldwide have been registered in the Teach Your Children to Save Day another $30 million to the World Health WHO's European region, which stretches from the USA: Former US presidential hopeful Spain: One of the country’s deputy Organization to help in the global fight Atlantic to the Pacific and includes 53 countries as A day that encourages parents to teach Elizabeth Warren says her oldest brother prime ministers apologizes to the coun- against the coronavirus pandemic, days diverse as Russia and Andorra. Over 110,000 deaths their children about money, about saving, had died from the novel coronavirus, ex- try's children for confining them to their after Washington said it would freeze have also been reported in the region. spending, donating, and investing pressing her deep regret that no family homes since mid-March as part of a na- funding. -AFP 2 APRIL 24 - 26, 2020 WEEKEND EXPRESS BUSINESS

By Thisali de Silva and Nisha Arunatilake COVID-19 and road Govt in talks with ADB for ahead for three-wheelers Sri Lanka has been under curfew since mid- March to contain the spread of COVID-19. As a US$300mn credit, more from China’s result, economic activities throughout the coun- try have stalled. Here is a look at how the ongo- ing curfew is impacting three wheeler drivers in Sri Lanka, based on mobile phone conversations with a sample of 14 drivers from Colombo, Keg- alle, and Galle districts. AIIB, France’s AFD According to the Labour Force Survey 2018, COLOMBO - Sri Lanka is in talks with also join with ADB with top-up fund- tary testing has also been pushed up a Contingent Emergency Response 59% of the employed in Sri Lanka are engaged a raft of lenders ranging from the Asian in informal employment, and nearly half (49%) ing.” Sri Lanka has started talks with with the requirement for admission in Component (CERC) where part of the of non-agricultural workers are informal work- Development Bank (ADB) , China’s AgenceFrançaise de Développement the hospital, and result contact trac- project funds can be re-directed if a ers. Driving three wheeler taxis is one of the top Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AFD) for another loan. ers are dependent on the discovery of national emergency is declared. The occupations among informal, non-agricultural (AIIB) and France’s AgenceFrançaise Revenues of governments around symptomatic index cases turning up in Washington-based lender had already workers. About 6% of the total employed were de Développement for budget support the world have been hit by lockdowns. the hospital, which block the discovery approved a US$ 128 million health three wheeler drivers in 2018. (This amounts to an official said, as the country is fight- Sri Lanka has been fighting back of any asymptomatic cases that have package for Sri Lanka, a part of which 235,271 drivers, according to the 2016 Labour ing off a coronavirus pandemic. against the spread of coronavirus with been missed. could be used immediately. Force Survey data, which is likely to be an un- “We are in discussions with the Asian aggressive contact tracing and a tight The World Bank is a top lender to Sri Lanka’s central bank has also re- derestimate. More realistically, the number is Development Bank for US$ 300 mil- lockdown backed by curfews but the Sri Lanka and has several ongoing quested International Monetary Fund estimated to be approximately 544,804, using lion budget support program,” Treas- authorities have kept a tight hold on programs, a part of which could be re- loan under its Rapid Finance Instru- total registered number of three wheelers.) ury Secretary S..R.Attygalle said. “We testing, preventing voluntary and pri- directed to fight the current pandem- ment. The majority of three wheeler drivers operate are also in talks with AIIB. They may vate sector testing. The cost of volun- ic. Many World Bank loans also have -economynext.com in Colombo, Gampaha, and Kandy Districts. In- cidentally, these are the districts most affected by the curfew. When the curfew is lifted periodically, three wheeler drivers in rural and suburban areas Weekly US jobless claims 4.4 mn, virus Cabinet approves US$ 400mn can get a few hires, mostly from their acquaint- ances and neighbours. This is not possible in total hits 26.4 mn currency swap with India urban areas, due to high traffic. According to COLOMBO– The cabinet of ministers When liquidity is injected, a peg has the urban drivers, during high traffic, the profit WASHINGTON - Job losses from the sive $2.2 trillion CARES act passed in have approved a US$ 400 million US to be defended with forex reserve loss- margin is low and it is not worthwhile to oper- coronavirus pandemic deepened last late March. dollar swap line with the Reserve Bank es. If the peg is not defended it will fall. ate three wheelers. week with data showing yesterday (23) The new package would provide an- According to a recent IPS study, three another 4.4 million US workers filed other $320 billion for small businesses of India, co-cabinet spokesman Minis- In general, when there is a weak wheeler drivers earn a higher income than most new claims for jobless benefits bring- to keep their doors open and pay their ter BandulaGunewardene said yester- credit currency pegs do not break. But other informal sector workers, with attractive, ing the total to 26.4 million since mid- workers, after the initial $349 billion in day (23). in 2018 despite weak credit, liquidity on-the-spot cash, on a daily basis. Unfortu- March. the Paycheque Protection Program was The central bank will borrow the injections hit the rupee. nately, the ongoing curfew has led to a decline The total for the week ending April 18 drained in just two weeks. money from the RBI to boost its gross Among South Asian central banks, in their daily income. is a drop from the initial claims filed in The claims figures for last week show reserves. Sri Lanka’s soft-currency peg Sri Lanka’s central bank has the worst In the Colombo District, drivers who usually the previous three weeks, but remains that the layoffs continued for a fifth with the US has come under pressure record, allowing the rupee to fall to 195 earn Rs 2,000-3,000 a day have no income at at staggeringly high levels due to gov- week, despite the help from Congress. due to liquidity injections made by the to the US dollar from 4.70 (the rate of all, because of the continuous curfew. In other ernment-ordered shutdowns to stop the Ian Shepherdson of Pantheon Macro- bank amid the coronavirus crises. the Indian rupee to which all of South districts, some were able to earn around Rs pandemic from spreading and intensi- economics noted the decline but said it Analysts have pointed out that risks Asia and parts of the Middle East was 500 per day, when the curfew was lifted. But fying. is not falling as quickly as he had hoped. of monetary stability went up during either pegged or ‘dollarized’ at inde- that too is much lower than their usual daily The outbreak in the US has grown He called the total "horrendous." the tenure of ex-Governor Indrajit- pendence). The Maldives has had the income. Some of the temporary migrants have into the world's largest, with deaths "We anticipate a further decline in Coomarasway after a policy corridor most monetary stability on an absolute left to their villages since the curfew was im- reaching 46,583 on Wednesday (22), claims next week, but the rate of fall of was narrowed and a mid-rate started basis while Bhutan and Nepal mon- posed, including platform-based three wheeler according to a tally by Johns Hopkins Google searches for 'file for unemploy- to be targeted with unlimited excess etary authorities have shown the most drivers, such as those registered with Pick Me. University. Meanwhile, lawmakers in ment' has slowed, suggesting it will take liquidity. Sri Lanka’s rupee had been relative monetary stability since the Thus, they are unable to engage even in the the US House of Representatives were several more weeks before claims drop trading erratically with almost no pre- end of British rule. limited work opportunities available, such as set to vote on a $480 billion coronavirus below one million," Shepherdson said. miums between spot and forward rates. -economynex.com food delivery activities taken over by Pick Me relief package that builds upon a mas- -AFP and Uber. Government relief for three wheeler drivers The government intervention to give an Minister says industries hit by import extension of six months to pay off their leases is a relief for drivers who have bought three wheelers through lease. controls can appeal to finance ministry Most however are not registered for Sam- COLOMBO - Domestic industries hit ity injections to keep call money rates urdhi, and are not eligible for the concessions by import control that came in the wake down when the rupee collapsed. It was given to the beneficiaries. Most also did not of currency pressure should appeal to done using a 1969 import control law, have savings as they are paying off loans taken the finance ministry for relief, Infor- which was used extensively during the to buy their three wheelers. Moreover, not just mation Minister BandulaGunewardene 1970s after the collapse of the Bretton the full-time three wheeler drivers, but also the said yesterday (23) Woods system in 1971, which triggered part time drivers who work in carpentry/ma- “Many industrialists and importers an oil and commodity price shock and sonry have lost all their income sources. who import inputs have said they can- countries that printed money to subsi- Right now, food delivery is the only alterna- not produce without some imports,” dize prices faced a balance of payments tive available to three wheeler drivers. But, Gunewardene said, explaining, “There crises. permits are given to a limited number of driv- are items like packaging for example. Import controls were widely used ers with connections to food suppliers. We will not remove the import controls, elsewhere as the Sterling also came un- Some three wheeler drivers have received dry but they can make an appeal with their der pressure (Sterling crises) before the rations, distributed free of charge by munici- problem to the finance ministry.” US dollar’s peg with gold broke. pal councils, to daily income earners in the informal sector. However, only some have The minister said a unit at the Treas- Sri Lankan ministers have asked peo- benefitted from this facility. According to those ury will go through the appeal to give ple to grow ‘kollu’ or horse gram. relief. However, money printing has trig- surveyed, food items are not being distributed -Madaree TOHLALA / AFP in some rural areas and around main roads in Sri Lanka slapped import controls af- gered fertilizer shortages. urban areas. Some stated three wheeler drivers ter the central bank made large liquid- -economynext.com Children wearing face masks carry food donations from the Southern Peace Media are not eligible for free rations and subsidies Club yesterday (23), after the local economy was severely affected by the COVID-19 in their locations, unless they are Samurdhi novel coronavirus, in Thailand's southern province of Narathiwat beneficiaries. There is a government procedure to identify daily income earners who have been Oil rallies on Gulf tensions and suffering due to the crisis, through Grama- Niladharis. Only one driver stated they were asked to register, but could not go because of output cuts SL Tourism assesses, supply, demand the curfew. Some were not even aware of this scheme. Some are temporary migrants to urban LONDON - Oil rose yesterday (23), from President Donald Trump he had for post-coronavirus strategy areas and are more likely to be missed from spurred by rising tensions in the Middle instructed the US Navy to fire on any receiving subsidies and free food rations, as East, output cuts by producing nations Iranian ships that harass it in the Gulf, COLOMBO– Sri Lanka’s tourism pro- input and collaboration of all tourism they are not registered with GramaNiladharis to tackle oversupply and the promise of although he added later he was not motion agency said its assessing sup- organization is critical in the current in their temporary location. more government stimulus to ease the changing the military's rules of engage- ply with the UN backed program and situation, and would be of great benefit Coping without an income economic pain of the new coronavirus ment. is also looking at markets to develop a in planning the future,” Fernando said. Three wheeler drivers from urban areas find pandemic. "This ratchets up tensions once again post-coronavirus strategy. “I look to all associations to provide it harder to manage without an income. Even Brent crude was up $1.78, or 8.7%, at between the U.S. and Iran. However, The cabinet last week cleared a 5-year us with their formal proposals to help though many drivers operate in city areas, most $22.15 a barrel by 0940 GMT. US crude given the glut we have in the oil market, global promotional campaign. Sri Lanka Tourism to complete an in- of them are from villages. Even if food distrib- rose $1.87, or 13.6%, at $15.65 a barrel. it is difficult to see this offering lasting “The approach focuses on consumer clusive long-term strategy.” uters arrive, they do not have money on hand Oil prices have suffered one of their support to the market, unless the situ- types and will allow for research sup- Sri Lanka Tourism Alliance industry to buy anything. Those from rural areas are most tumultuous weeks ever. The expir- ation does escalate further," ING's head ported global promotional campaign grouping has already submitted a pro- able to obtain local produce such as jak fruit, ing front-month US contract on Mon- of commodities strategy Warren Patter- for Sri Lanka and a traveller-focused, posal. coconut, and some vegetables cheaply. But, this day (20) fell into negative territory for son said. evidence-based promotion strategy Sri Lanka Tourism’s post-COVID-19 is only a short term solution, as many of these the first time as traders paid buyers to Output cuts by producers also sup- will be developed,” Sri Lanka Tourism approach will be in two stages – Stage vendors are dependent on locally grown food. take crude off their hands given a lack ported prices. Kuwait began reducing Chairperson Kimarli Fernando said in 1 (December Season 2020) and Stage 2 Those from the urban sector use savings or of storage space for the current supply oil supply to the international market a statement. (Post-December 2020), with state on have taken loans to buy essential food items. glut. without waiting for the deal agreed by It said Sri Lanka Tourism with Unit- focusing on the immediate recovery of Some are relying on their families to provide So far this year, Brent has lost roughly major oil exporting countries to take ef- ed Nations Development Program the industry, which involves changes to for them. A wife of one driver said she is work- two thirds of its value. fect on May 1. (UNDP) will assess the impact and cur- the visa process to include mandatory ing for a neighbour to cover their daily expens- Concerns about the collapse in de- OPEC, Russia and other oil produc- rent status of the industry. testing, adjustments to the immigra- es. One elderly three wheeler driver depends on mand because of travel restrictions to ing nations, known as OPEC+, agreed There are 11,071 registered entities tion process, airport entry, hotel trans- his children to provide him provisions. Another contain the coronavirus and a shortage this month to cut output by a record and individuals in the industry. Addi- fer and certification of hotels to ensure three wheeler driver is a retired postal service of space to store oil still dominate, but amount, representing around 10% of tionally, there were 2,669 accommoda- health and safety of tourists, employees worker, and manages with his pension. Some analysts say they do not expect a re- global supply, to support oil prices. tion facilities with 39,253 rooms. and the local community. indicated that if the situation becomes worse, peat of Monday's price shock. The rally “Tourism in Sri Lanka is an industry they might have to sell their vehicles to cope, yesterday followed an announcement -Reuters built on diversity and inclusivity, the -economynext.com but this will compromise their future earning potential. Way ahead The three wheeler industry is an important source of employment for many non-agricul- tural, informal sector workers. This sector is President appoints task force on economic revival and one of the most severely affected by the on-go- ing curfew. Being able to delay lease payments is a great relief for many three wheeler drivers. poverty eradication But, many need income support to cover daily COLOMBO – President Gotabaya of COVID-19 outbreak. According to the Task Force, it is required to inform tified as high risk zones in the face of expenses. There are some initiatives to distrib- Rajapaksa has appointed a Presiden- the vision of the ‘SaubhagyayeDekma’, the president of all instances where COVID- 19 spread will be abolished ute rations to daily income earners. However, tial Task Force in charge of economic policy statement, the Task Force has any public official, ministry, state de- with the establishment of the new this is not being carried out in all areas, while revival and poverty eradication, tasked also been tasked with the implemen- partment, state corporation or any Task Force. in some areas, only Samurdhi beneficiaries are with steering the relevant institutes to tation of joint operations to establish other similar institute which delays or The scope and the responsibilities of targeted through relief efforts. Providing op- create a production economy through a people-centric economy which will fails to perform duties and responsi- the Task Force in charge of Economic portunities for three wheeler drivers to be more the formulation of an economic struc- promote domestic industrialists and bilities assigned by it. Revival and Poverty Eradication will involved in distribution activities is one means ture based on novel initiatives. entrepreneurs, and given the respon- It also states relevant provisions re- be announced in a gazette notification of helping them to earn an income. Many three Chaired by Special Representative sibility of taking measures to distrib- lating to the Task Force appointed on to be published soon, the statement wheeler drivers are temporary migrants to of the President Basil Rajapaksa, the ute products in liaising with all the January 24, 2020 and March 24 on said. urban areas. As such they are missed out in the Task Force will be responsible for re- institutes while paying attention to Poverty Alleviation and Livelihood De- Additional Secretaries to the Office relief efforts done at the GramaNiladhari level. viving the economy and eradication of the activities undertaken by the health velopment and the Presidential Task of the Prime Minister Anton Perera A self-registering system may help, but should poverty while paying special attention and education task forces to maintain Force appointed on March 23, 2020 and D. S. Jayaweera will function as be transparent, because benefits should be to the challenges posed and opportuni- normalcy in the civilian life. According on administration of essential services co-Secretaries. given only for those in need. -IPS ties emerged in Sri Lanka in the wake to a statement on the establishment of to continue civilian life in areas iden- -ENCL WEEKEND EXPRESS APRIL 24 - 26, 2020 3 GLOCAL

ress Nesaers ey vt td By Aruna anaana 185, Grandpass Road, Colombo 14, Sri Lanka Telephone: 0117 322 705 (Editorial) 0117 322 731 (Advertising) 0117 322 789 (Circulation) Constitutional Email – [email protected]/[email protected] Epaper - http://epaper.newsexpress.lk crisis looms Facebook –News Express Sri Lanka As poll date goes beyond three months of dissolution COLOMBO – Constitutional experts are say- ing that because the president is accountable to Huge surge in COVID-19 patients as Parliament it is vital that the House be recon- vened to deal with the COVID -19 crisis. The executive arm of the government has deployed the armed forces, enforced police curfews and taken action to distribute essen- 30 Navy men test positive at Welisara tials, all justified in order to combat the novel coronavirus epidemic but these actions need to have legal cover from Parliament they point COLOMBO - Sri Lanka has had the big- in Polonnaruwa was confirmed as being of alleged drug addicts. “He was infected people from the area. Among those con- out. Also the money being spent by the govern- gest surge in new COVID-19 cases yester- COVID-19 positive. doing his duty,” Silva said. firmed positive is a cashier of a super ment to fight the pandemic has to be drawn day (23), after 30 Navy personnel at the Thereafter the barracks he was living in Meanwhile, the number of COVID-19 market in the area. from the Consolidated Fund, but only for a huge Welisara camp were confirmed as was quarantined and all the sailors tested. positive case detected from the cluster in Over 1000 people from the highly con- fixed period. The Executive can run the gov- having contracted the novel coronavirus.. “We now have 30 sailors with COV- BandaranaikeMawatha, Colombo 12, rose gested BandaranaikeMawatha were taken ernment and respond to emergencies only for a Along with other cases detected at vari- ID-19 including the person detected at to 65, with four more patients confirmed to quarantine centres on Wednesday (22) three-month period after the dissolution of the ous quarantine centres, the total number Polonnaruwa,” Silva said. as positive yesterday. and 100 more PCR tests were carried out Parliament. Because of the current situation of confirmed cases shot to 38 taking Sri He said the sailor found in Polonnaru- According to the PHI officers of the yesterday. obviously the period could not be adhered to. Lanka’s overall coronavirus toll to 368. wa had been infected by another sailor area, confirmed cases have been detected Earlier in the day, 12 villages at Lanka- Academic Dr AsangaWelikala and Attorney Army Commander Lt. General Shav- who was in the same barracks. been from all the lanes in Bandaranaike- pura in Polonnaruwa was isolated after Suren Fernando point out that the “Constitu- endra Silva in a video press briefing yes- Silva said the sailors had contracted the Mawatha now. a COVID-19 infected patient was found tion and the Parliamentary Elections Act allow terday, said the Welisara camp had been virus when they had gone to the Sudu- The four confirmed cases yesterday from the area, on Wednesday both the date of the election and the date for isolated after a sailor who was on leave wella area to take into quarantine a group were from the tests carried out on 72 - ENCL/economynext.com the first meeting to be varied. But they do not, under any circumstances, permit such resched- uled dates to be set beyond three months from the date of the original proclamation of disso- lution.” In Brief But now the election date has been fixed for June 20, 18 days after the 3-month period is Police authorized to arrest tunayake yesterday (23) via a special flight over prompting the opposition to say that the quarantine violators chartered by SriLankan Airlines. They original dissolution is invalid. Addressing the Director General of Health Services, Dr. were directed to quarantine centres. The media yesterday (23), Cabinet Spokesman, Anil Jasinghe has empowered the Acting Ministry of Foreign Relations has said it is Media Minister BandulaGunewardene alleged Inspector General of Police (IGP) C. D. taking measures to repatriate all Sri Lan- that all the “talk about a Constitutional crisis Wickramaratne to order the arrests of any- kan students stranded overseas and are comes from overseas sources.” He said the one found violating the quarantine regula- currently willing to return to the country. president has the powers to spend government tions. They police warned arrests will be Ramadan begins on Saturday money on the needs of the country, even three made even when the curfew is lifted. The Colombo Grand Mosque yesterday months after a new Parliament is elected. Help from Canada declared the month of Ramadan, where “Anyway President Gotabaya Rajapaksa will The Government of Canada has pro- Muslims fast from dawn to dusk, will com- not be reconvening Parliament under any cir- vided over CAD $56,000 (approximately mence on Saturday (25), while the Wakf cumstances,” he said. Responding to reports Rs. 7.5 million) to support Sri Lanka’s Board, the State body that administers circulating on social media, former Speaker response to the COVID-19 pandemic mosques in the country issued several spe- KaruJayasuriya said he too would not recall Parliament on his own. However, if the courts through targeted relief to some of those cial directives for the mosques to be fol- lowed during the month. ordered him to do so he would, he said on most affected in vulnerable communities. Twitter. Academic and President’s Counsel The funds are being granted to the Nation- Ranil reaches out Dr.JayampathyWickremeratne said the sim- al Peace Council of Sri Lanka through the Former Prime Minister RanilWickrem- plest solution is for the president to rescind the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives (CFLI). esinghe reached out to German Chancel- dissolution order and extend the life of Parlia- The National Peace Council of Sri Lanka is lor Angela Merkel and the Prime Minister ment until September, which would have given part of the Civil Society Committee of the of Norway Erna Solberg on the COVID-19 the country the breathing space to get over the Presidential COVID-19 Task Force. pandemic. In two letters addressed to the –J Sujeewakumar/ENCL COVID-19 hurdle. Students repatriated two leaders Wickremesinghe praised the Elections then could have been postponed A security personnel checks the body temperature of a pedestrian in Colombo yesterday Over 100 stranded Sri Lankan students two leaders approach to controlling the to December if necessary. Parliament could (23), as the Ministry of Health said it has decided to increase the number of Polymerase repatriated from India, arrived at the spread of the virus while ensuring eco- “agree to meet for two days a month and pass Chain Reaction (PCR) testing in the country to over 1000 a day from the current 800. Bandaranaike International Airport in Ka- nomic stability. the budget for the COVID-19 issue,” he said. The ministry said private hospitals have also been invited to carry out the testing together “The president should stop being stubborn with government hospitals, in a bid to broad base the testing and identification of positive and reconvene Parliament,” he added. Many cases notable people, including Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith the Catholic Bishop of Colombo have Karu says will not create another said that the virus should be the priority for the country and not the elections. The opposition, led by the Samagi Jana Ba- SL CERT |CC issues threat warnings crisis by summoning Parliament lavegaya (SJB) have said an election campaign COLOMBO– The Constitutional Coun- by the CC with regard to the NPC had also conducted with restrictions on the movement for ‘Free Internet Data Scams’ cil (CC) yesterday (23) called on Presi- been discussed, with several members ex- of people and a ban on gatherings will not be dent Gotabaya Rajapaksa to obtain the pressing opinions about transfers of sen- free and fair. SJB leader SajithPremadasa has COLOMBO - Sri Lanka CERT|CC for CERT|CC said, warning the messages views and suggestions of the party leaders ior police officers. Jayasuriya had said gone a step further saying the poll cannot be cyber security issues issued high threat were part of a click fraud which is a mon- in the recently dissolved Parliament in concerns would be brought to the notice conducted “until the last patient is cured.” That warnings for ‘Free Internet Data Scams’ etization scheme that relies on racking up dealing with the COVID-19 crisis. Former of the Commissioners. is unrealistic as the novel coronavirus is proba- yesterday (23) and asked the public to be bogus ad clicks that brings revenue to the speaker KaruJayasuriya, who chaired the With regard to the situation concern- bly here to stay. The United National Party also cautious when responding to the scam scam operators. CC meeting held at the Speaker’s official ing COVID-19, Prime Minister Mahinda weighed in yesterday, with General Secretary messages. SL CERT warned websites behind these residence, quashed speculation that he Rajapaksa had given a lengthy presenta- AkilaVirajKariyawasam calling for Parliament SL CERT|CC said the messages could scams might change into phishing sites at was going to unilaterally summon Parlia- tion about the government’s relief efforts to be reconvened, adding that the opposition is be sent via SMS, WhatsApp and Viber any time and users could lose sensitive ment. as well as efforts to curb the spread of the prepared to assist the government “to pass es- sential laws and funds necessary to prevent the claiming to offer free data for the cus- data and online accounts. A media release from the parliamen- virus. tomer. “Check on the organizations website spread of the COVID-19.” tary office quoted the former speaker as The members had emphasized that the “This is not the time to move away from de- “There are messages that claim to of- to make sure any promotion is real and saying, “I will not precipitate in a Consti- Executive needs to consult party leaders fer free data and these offers will pretend valid before registering yourself for it,” SL mocracy for narrow political gains, it could cre- tutional crisis to compound the crises we when taking key decisions with regard to ate serious implications for the future. We need to come from well-known organizations CERT|CC said. are facing.” the COVID-19 issue. or brands to gain the users trust,” SL -economynext.com to be farsighted in this hour and now work as He had also said it was up to the courts The CC had discussed the issues faced a country, not as political parties or groups, to offer a solution to the Constitutional by Sri Lankan workers in the Middle East which will endanger public lives,” he said. He crisis. and how they could be repatriated. also asked why a poll date was set without The members of the council, the release The prime minister had assured the CC proper consultations and “assurances from Advocata calls for active, private, voluntary said discussed the workings of the vari- that the government was acting to help health experts and other key stakeholders, ar- ous independent commissions with the these workers as well as the students who guing that priority should be given to public National Police Commission being the were stranded in various countries. safety and health during the COVID-19 crisis.” coronavirus tests on high risk groups centre of the discussion. Letters received -ENCL/economynext.com Wickremeratne also warned against various civic and political leaders saying that it would COLOMBO - Sri Lanka should shift from think tank said voluntary testing, random be better for the government to run for a few only testing contacts of index cases that testing of people in high-risk areas will years “without Parliament.” “That is a very turn up with symptoms and relax current increase the chance of asymptomatic in- Army Chief says schools may not dangerous idea, as it is the Parliament that controls on private testing, encourage dex cases and members of clusters being oversees the Executive. The government is a voluntary and private sector tests on high discovered. three-legged stool, the Executive, Parliament risk group as curfews are relaxed, Advo- “Once curfew is lifted, the front office re-open on May 11 and the Judiciary are the three legs and the cata Institute, a Colombo-based think staff of any institution including airports, Court is the weakest,” he said. The stool cannot tank recommended yesterday.. quarantine workers, cleaning staff, peo- COLOMBO–Army Commander, Lt. to know exactly what they can do and stand on two legs, he pointed out. Welikala and “In dealing with the COVID-19 pan- ple working in economic centres, and Gen. Shavendra Silva said that opening what they cannot. Fernando meanwhile sounded a warning about demic, Sri Lanka has been aggressively drivers may be exposed to higher risks,” schools on May 11 may not be possible as Given the planning required and the the state of affairs. contact-tracing and later testing contacts it warned, adding that those in driving/ several logistics would have to be put in logistics required, he has said the govern- They wrote “the extent to which we can see of index cases that have turned up show- delivery related jobs, in particular, would place to ensure the safety of children in ment may not be able to open the school the government acting efficiently while remain- ing symptom,” Advocata said, noting that also be in a position to spread the disease classrooms. on May 11. ing within the clear authority and rules estab- contact tracers in the health service and faster and to a greater area. “As of now I do not foresee that it can be The government on April 11 announced lished by the Constitution and other relevant military have done a commendable job. It Advocata pointed out there was zero opened on May 11. My belief is that 75% that schools will be reopened for their sec- laws, is the measure of success. If the appropri- also noted that gaps in the initial testing chance of an asymptomatic person who it may not be possible,” General Silva is ond term on May 11, revising its decision ate balance is not struck, then we risk harming regime including not testing first-level is not linked to a known index case being quoted as saying in an English language to reopen schools on April 20. our democracy and encouraging authoritarian- contacts immediately to find whether the discovered by authorities under the cur- daily. However Education Minister Dul- ism.” “Several weeks into the coronavirus cri- next level could be infected and releasing rent testing strategy, noting that since the He has said that even if schools do re- lusAlahapperuma explained that this sis, it does not appear that the government is people from quarantine before testing growth of a cluster is exponential, time open, there will have to be a first handed decision would be reviewed again in the getting this balance right,” they concluded. have been closed. was of the essence. special operation put in place and guide- first week of May, by health experts and -economynext.com However, it noted the current contact Allowing voluntary drive-in tests out- lines will have to be set as there are a min- if schools were advised to remain closed tracing strategy has a serious flaw in that side of hospitals and using data will help imum of 30 to 40 children per class. considering the country’s situation, then it is too dependent on symptomatic cases authorities to create a live map at no cost He has said a lot of logistics are required the government would further delay its and there is no way to detect an infected to the public purse, Advocata said. to think and practice before schools start opening. index case that is asymptomatic. The -ENCL and that everyone in the school will have -newsin.asia ICJ, academics, request authorities to respect detained lawyer’s human rights COLOMBO– Acknowledging the need Prisoners, Families of the Disappeared, cials had entered the lawyer’s residence Meanwhile, the International Com- to conduct thorough investigations into the Human Rights Office, Kandy and the and interrogated him in handcuffs. They mission of Jurists (ICJ) on Tuesday (21) any alleged offence, a collective of aca- International Centre for Ethnic Studies. had then demanded access to two case called upon the Sri Lankan authorities demics, lawyers, clergymen and human The group also called upon the authori- files he had worked on – a decade prior, to respect human rights in the conduct rights activists requested the Chief Jus- ties to “respect Hizbullah’s due process according to some media reports – and, of their investigation of the April 2019 tice to intervene in the arbitrary deten- rights, in particular to grant immediate having recorded a statement, taken him bombings, including ensuring that inves- tion of attorney-at-law HejaazHizbullah. access to his lawyers to receive instruc- into CID custody. tigations into the alleged involvement of “We request the Chief Justice to take tions, provide reasons for his arrest as Police spokesman SSP JaliyaSenaratne Hizbullah are conducted in accordance note of the apparent interference by law well as evidence that the arrest is not ar- subsequently told reporters that the sen- with due process and fair trial guarantees enforcement authorities in the right of an bitrary and produce him before a magis- ior lawyer was arrested in connection under international law. officer of the Supreme Court to practice trate immediately.” with last year’s Easter Sunday bombings Specifically, the ICJ said, the authori- his profession freely and make necessary Hizbullah was arrested by the Crimi- The citizen collective in their statement ties must specify the charges against him, interventions to ensure attorneys-at-law nal Investigations Department (CID) on claimed that, to date, Hizbullah has not grant him full and immediate access to a are able to perform their functions with- April 14 under provisions in the Preven- been informed of the reason for the arrest lawyer, and investigate the circumstanc- out fear,” the collective said in a state- tion of Terrorism Act (PTA). According to nor has he been granted access to his law- es of his arrest for potential rights viola- ment signed by 117 individuals represent- a habeas corpus application filed by his yers except in restricted circumstances tions. ing a number of rights bodies including father, NainaHizbullah, on April 17, five for about fifteen minutes and in the pres- -economynext.com/ENCL the Committee for Protecting Rights of persons posing as Health Ministry offi- ence of a CID officer. 4 APRIL 24 - 26, 2020 WEEKEND EXPRESS HOT TOPICS

By uy aulnride and Andy Brue By annik asuet UK economy German court hears crumbles under of ‘inhumane' torture in Syria state prison coronavirus strain KOBLENZ -Two alleged former Syrian intelli- gence officers went on trial in Germany yesterday Questions mount over (23) accused of crimes against humanity in the first lockdown exit court case worldwide over state-sponsored torture by Bashar al-Assad's regime. LONDON - The United Kingdom’s economy Prime suspect Anwar Raslan, an alleged former is crumbling under the strain of the corona- colonel in Syrian state security, stands accused virus lockdown and government borrowing of carrying out crimes against humanity while in is soaring to the highest levels in peacetime charge of the Al-Khatib detention centre in Da- history, increasing pressure on the govern- mascus. The 57-year-old, who appeared in the ment to set out an exit strategy. dock wearing glasses and a moustache, is charged Prime Minister Boris Johnson, recuper- with overseeing the murder of 58 people and the ating at his country residence after being torture of 4,000 others at the prison between April seriously ill with COVID-19, is facing criti- 29, 2011 and September 7, 2012. Raslan remained cism from opposition politicians and some expressionless as prosecutors listed the gruesome epidemiologists for reacting too slowly to the details of the torture he allegedly oversaw, which novel coronavirus outbreak. included "electric shocks", beatings with "fists, Ministers are already struggling to explain wires and whips" and "sleep deprivation". high death rates, limited testing and short- Fellow defendant Eyad al-Gharib, 43, is accused ages of protective kit, and the grim reality of of being an accomplice to crimes against humanity, the damage to the world’s fifth largest econo- having helped to arrest protesters and deliver them my hit home on Thursday. to Al-Khatib in the autumn of 2011. He appeared “We are experiencing an economic con- -Asif HASSAN / AFP before the court in a hoodie, his face partially cov- traction that is faster and deeper than any- A Muslim devotee places stickers of feet silhouettes on the floor of a Mosque to maintain social distance ahead of the ered by a mask. Like hundreds of thousands of thing we have seen in the past century, or Muslim holy month of Ramadan during a government-imposed nationwide lockdown as a preventive measure against the other Syrians, the two men fled their country and possibly several centuries,” Bank of England COVID-19 coronavirus, in Karachi yesterday (23) applied for asylum in Germany, where they were arrested in February 2019. interest-rate setter Jan Vlieghe said. By aria Ai ai and ia r ehan The recovery, he said, was unlikely to be They both declined to speak before the court, al- swift. though Raslan's lawyer said he would give a written The IHS Markit/CIPS Flash UK Composite statement shortly. "This trial is the first occasion As Ramadan nears on which (victims) are speaking out –- not only in Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) fell to a public, but before a court –- about what happened new record low of 12.9 from 36.0 in March to them and what is still happening in Syria," said - not even close to the weakest forecast in a Wolfgang Kaleck, founder of the European Center Reuters poll of economists that had pointed Imams overrule Pakistan’s for Constitutional and Human Rights (ECCHR), a to a reading of 31.4. Berlin-based legal group supporting the plaintiffs. The UK will issue 180 billion pounds Raslan and Gharib are being tried on the princi- ($222 billion) of government debt between ple of universal jurisdiction, which allows a foreign May and July, more than it had previously coronavirus lockdown country to prosecute crimes against humanity. planned for the entire financial year. This is the only way to bring the perpetrators of The country’s debt mountain exceeds $2.5 KARACHI - While clerics and gov- Amin, an Islamabad-based professor abandoned,” said MaulanaAtaullah- Syrian state crimes to justice, as the International trillion and its public sector net borrowing ernments across the Muslim world and scholar on Islam and politics. “It Hazravi, a Karachi-based cleric. Criminal Court is hamstrung by vetoes from Russia could reach 14% of gross domestic product will greet Ramadan under lockdown, is very difficult for the state to imple- And, he added, “Mosques depend and China, the ECCHR claimed. "The case in Kob- this year, the biggest single year deficit since working together to shut mosques ment what’s best for the public good. largely on the donations collected lenz should serve as a stark warning to those who World War Two. and urging worshippers to pray at The larger public interest is always up during Ramadan.” are currently committing abuses in Syria that no A Reuters poll of economists yesterday home, in Pakistan, some of the most against the clerics. It’s completely un- That point — money — was high on one is beyond the reach of justice," Human Rights (23) pointed to a roughly 13% contraction prominent imams have rallied their democratic.” Pakistan’s imams were the list of grievances that the clerics Watch said in a statement. in economic output in the current quarter, devotees to ignore the anti-pandemic empowered by the military during raised in their letter last week. During the trial, held under high security and due which would be the largest since records be- measures. the 1980s when mosques across the Worshippers open their wallets to last until at least August, the court is expected to gan after World War Two. Ramadan, set to begin in Pakistan country churned out jihadis to fight wide during Ramadan, donating mil- hear testimony from victims who survived impris- The government’s as yet unpublished today (24) or tomorrow (25), is the the Soviet military in Afghanistan lions of dollars. And in places like Pa- onment at Al-Khatib, before later escaping to Eu- strategy for unwinding from the lockdown is holy month in which Muslims crowd with the support of the United States. kistan, where mosques are not under rope. Yesterday, the court heard an account of the also under scrutiny. Deutsche Bank said the into mosques and fast all day, holding While other countries tried to curb the authority of the state, the money appalling horrors suffered by 24 former Al-Khatib country’s limited testing capacity is a prob- feasts after sundown with family and hard-line clerics’ influence after the can make or break imams and the fol- inmates, many of whom were arrested for taking lem. friends. Those are ripe conditions for Afghan war, recognizing the dangers lowings they try to build, often to par- part in pro-democracy demonstrations during the “The UK is lagging behind almost any the coronavirus to spread, and imams they posed, in Pakistan, the power- lay into political power to challenge Arab Spring in 2011. medium to large economy globally when it around the world are asking people to ful military continued to use them as the government. Speaking from behind a sheet of plexiglass due comes to coronavirus tests,” Deutsche Bank’s stay home. But in Pakistan, pandem- tools of foreign and domestic policy. Pakistani clerics have frequently to the coronavirus pandemic, public prosecutor But their defiance of the lock- used their religious authority to get Oliver Harvey said in a note to clients. ic or no pandemic, hard-line clerics Jasper Klinge said Raslan "knew the extent of the are calling the shots, overriding the down is exposing the limits of even loyalists to lay siege to the capital, for Health Secretary Matt Hancock has prom- torture" which took place in order to extract "con- government’s nationwide virus lock- the military’s control. The military example, forcing the state to change fessions and information about the (Syrian) oppo- ised to get 100,000 people per day tested down, which began late last month. wanted the shutdown, pressuring policies they disagree with. by the end of April, though just 22,814 tests sition". He said prisoners were murdered "under Most clerics complied with the Khan to back the measure at a time That differs from countries like (Raslan's) direction and responsibility" and de- were carried out on Tuesday (21) - the latest shutdown when it was announced. when he was reluctant and worried Egypt or the United Arab Emirates, day for which data is publicly available. scribed "inhumane" conditions, with 140 people But some of the most influential ones about the economic toll. But when the where the authorities give clerics crammed into cells of just 50 square metres in "in- A total of 411,192 people have so far been immediately called on worshippers to security forces tried to prevent wor- guidelines or even specific remarks tested and 559,935 tests have been carried credible heat". attend Friday prayers in even greater shippers from gathering at mosques for their Friday sermons. The prosecutor also referred to a woman who was out in total in the United Kingdom. numbers. Devotees attacked police for prayers, they found themselves While the government has given in Restrictions on everyday life are likely to subjected to electric shocks and raped during inter- officers who tried to get in their way. under attack. In Karachi, the largest this time, health care workers have rogation after her arrest in Damascus in May 2011. be needed for the “next calendar year” due As Ramadan drew closer, dozens of city, scenes emerged of worshippers not. Prominent doctors signed their to the time needed to develop and roll out Several co-plaintiffs in the trial expressed their well-known clerics and leaders of re- chasing the police through narrow al- own open letter Tuesday (21), urg- hope of finally seeing justice for such crimes. vaccines or find a cure, the government’s ligious parties — including some who leyways, pelting them with rocks and ing that mosques be ordered to limit chief medical adviser, Chris Whitty, said on "It's the first time I have experienced a fair trial. had initially obeyed the lockdown or- sending several officers to the hospi- attendance to five worshippers at a We want to reveal the truth about torture in Syria, Wednesday (22). ders — signed a letter demanding the tal. time. On Wednesday (22), they dou- Scientists in Britain began clinical trials of which is still going on today," said former Al-Khatib government exempt mosques from “The military has created a mon- bled down on their warnings at a news prisoner Hussein Ghrer. a potential COVID-19 vaccine yesterday as the shutdown during the holy month ster they can no longer control,” conference. By Wednesday evening, other vaccine developers across Europe also "This trial is also important for those who are still or invite the anger of God and the Amin said. “They are the creation the virus had infected at least 10,100 in prison or who have died, in order to restore their stepped up work on their own experimental faithful. of the military, and only they could in Pakistan and killed some 210 peo- dignity," added fellow victim WassimMukdad. shots against the disease caused by the new Last Saturday (18), the govern- handle them. That may no longer ple, according to officials. Experts say Some have suggested that Raslan, who faces life coronavirus. ment gave in, signing an agreement be the case.” By the time Ramadan that the true numbers are probably imprisonment if convicted, was not just a pawn of A team at Britain’s Oxford University that let mosques stay open for Ram- approached, police officers were much higher and that the govern- the regime, noting that he reportedly defected to dosed the first volunteers in a trial of their adan as long as they followed 20 no longer willing to erect cordons ment is not testing enough. the opposition in 2012 before arriving in Germany vaccine - called “ChAdOx1 nCoV-19” - while rules, including forcing congregants around mosques to stop gatherings But some of the faithful say they do two years later. Italy’s ReiThera, Germany’s Leukocare and to maintain a 6-foot distance, bring for prayers. While clerics acknowl- not care about the science. Yet ECCHR's Kaleck insists that he was not "any Belgium’s Univercells said they were work- their own prayer mats and do their edge that their mosques are perfect “Muslims wait for this month for old prison guard", but rather someone who, accord- ing together on another potential shot and ablutions at home. By the time Prime vectors for the coronavirus’s spread — the whole year so that they can earn ing to prosecutors, had a position of authority in aimed to start trials in a few months. Minister Imran Khan met with the worshippers gather to perform ablu- maximum rewards from God by fast- the apparatus of the Syrian state. As many as 100 potential COVID-19 can- clerics Monday (20), deferentially tions together before cramming into ing and offering our prayers,” said According to the UK-based Syrian Observa- didate vaccines are now under development promising to abide by the deal, critics the mosques, shoulder to shoulder Hazrat Ali, a worshipper in Karachi, tory for Human Rights monitoring group, at least by biotech and research teams around the were demanding to know who was in in supplication — they say they have where many mosques defied the lock- 60,000 people have been killed under torture or as world, and at least five of these are in pre- charge during this national crisis: the to protect their bottom line: money down from the start. “If the govern- a result of the terrible conditions in Assad's deten- liminary testing in people in what are known government or the mosques. and influence. “We know the coro- ment stops us forcibly from visiting tion centres. as Phase 1 clinical trials. “The state has become totally sub- navirus pandemic is a global health the mosques, we will resist,” he said. -Agence France-Presse -Reuters servient to these clerics,” said Husnul issue, but religious duties cannot be -New York Times By ristina Than ristina eny Hundreds willing to be infected for By elen avidsn Getting to know you Study says vaccine trials Life with 10 kids under An initiative has attracted more widespread testing has been and China coronavirus cases four times Hungary's lockdown than 1,700 volunteers who say they the strength of healthcare systems. would be willing to intentionally be The vast majority of those who die official figure BUDAPEST - When Hungarian ex-world cham- infected with the coronavirus as part from the disease caused by the virus, pion canoeist MartonJoob and fiancée Dora got of a controversial testing method COVID-19, which has killed 183,000 LONDON - More than 232,000 people The Hong Kong study analyzed data married they planned to have six children. that advocates say could speed the worldwide with 2.6 million infec- may have been infected in the first wave up to February 20 culled from the World So far they’ve had 10, with an 11th on the way - development of a vaccine. tions, are elderly or have pre-exist- of COVID-19 in mainland China, four Health Organization’s mission to Wuhan. and now that schools are closed and the country is The group, 1Day Sooner, says ing conditions. times the official figures, according to a It estimated that each of the first four under lockdown, looking after them has become 1,754 people have signed as volun- The group's cofounder, Josh Mor- study by Hong Kong researchers. changes increased the proportion of cases a full-time job with sometimes unforeseen conse- teers for a so-called human challenge rison, has said the initiative is not Mainland China reported more than detected and counted, between 2.8 and quences. trials as of yesterday (23), according recruiting for a specific trial. The 55,000 cases as of 20 February but, ac- 7.1 times. “We think everything is all right and the fridge to its website. Advocates say the tri- group says it is not affiliated with cording to research by academics at Hong “If the fifth version of the case defini- is full, and then 2-3 days later we open it and its als could vastly speed up develop- any companies currently developing Kong University’s school of public health tion had been applied throughout the almost empty,” said 37-year-old Marton. ment of a cure compared to a more vaccines or treatments, but is meant published in the Lancet, the true number outbreak with sufficient testing capacity, They get by with two fridges and a big freezer, standard approach, in which a large to create a pool of volunteers if the would have been far greater if the defi- we estimated that by February 20, 2020, and use a 17-seater bus to transport the family population is given potential vac- need arises. "We want to recruit as nition of a COVID-19 case that was later there would have been 232,000 … con- around their home city of Szeged. cines or placebos and left to regular many people as possible who want to used had been applied from the outset. firmed cases in China as opposed to the But their biggest challenge has been home environmental exposures over a pro- do this, and prequalify them as likely China has now reported more than 55,508 confirmed cases reported,” the schooling. Six of the children - they range in age longed period, after which the rate of to be able to participate in challenge 83,000 cases. Globally, the death toll study said. from 15 years to just 14 months - have been study- infections are compared. trials should they occur," Morrison, from the coronavirus has exceeded As scientific knowledge and labora- ing at home for weeks, and all have assignments to Although the human challenge who also serves as executive director 183,000, with the number of cases world- tory capability evolved, the definition of a be coordinated, completed and delivered on time. trials would be voluntary, questions of organ-donation advocacy group wide standing at more than 2.6 million. confirmed case has broadened to include The lockdown has taught the children to be more remain about the ethics of infecting Waitlist Zero, told Nature magazine. China’s national health commission cases with milder symptoms, or without self-reliant and cooperate more readily in tidying individuals, even those believed to "At the same time, we feel that the issued seven versions of a case defini- epidemiological links to Wuhan or other the house, playing together in smaller groups and be at the lowest risk, with a virus that public policy decisions around chal- tion for COVID-19 between January 15 known cases. packing away toys - helping to bring the family clos- scientists have an incomplete un- lenge trials will be better informed and March 3, and the study found these The report said these changes should er together and reinforcing their Christian values. derstanding of, and that has proven if they highlight the voice of people changes had a “substantial effect” on how be taken into account when looking at the “This virus has changed many things ... we have deadly for some while only causing interested in participating in such many infections which were detected as rate of the epidemic’s growth and dou- slowed down a little,” said Marton, a three-time mild symptoms for others. trials." Human challenge trials are cases. bling times. China has faced continual sprint canoe world champion between 2003 and In early March, the World Health currently used in the study of some It comes as China’s ambassador to the skepticism over its reporting of cases. 2007. Organization (WHO) said the glob- other infectious diseases, usually US called for “a serious rethink of the Last week it revealed the death toll in Wu- While the epidemic is a worrying time “seeing al death rate for coronavirus was those considered less deadly and foundations” of the two countries’ rela- han, where the virus is believed to have our children around us gives us great hope (and)... 3.4%, but countries and studies with more solid foundational under- tionship, while also criticizing US politi- originated, was in fact 50% higher than if God (wills it) ... we would like to have one or two have since reported rates that vary standings, including malaria. cians for ignoring scientists and making first reported. more.” greatly, largely depending on how -Al Jazeera “groundless” accusations. -The Guardian -Agencies WEEKEND EXPRESS APRIL 24 - 26, 2020 5 REALITY CHECK

By elan alsh By eea atlie A joyless ‘We’re in a prison' Ramadan looms Singapore's million migrant workers suffer as in old Cairo COVID-19 surges back SINGAPORE - The dormitories in which As virus shutters the city Singapore’s migrant workers live have, until recently, been almost hidden from view. The CAIRO — For more than a thousand years, vast, steel buildings are mostly on the out- Cairo’s oldest mosques kept their doors open skirts of town, tucked inside industrial estates, — through the Black Death of the 14th cen- far away from the city-state’s glittering sky- tury, the devastating cholera epidemics of scrapers and luxury hotels. the 19th century and the Spanish flu in the Inside, the men who carry out backbreak- winter of 1918 that claimed 140,000 Egyp- ing work to build Singapore’s infrastructure, tian lives. sleep on bunk beds, crammed into rooms with Then the coronavirus hit. as many as 20 people. The biggest dormitory On the first day of the lockdown at al- complex houses up to 24,000 workers. Azhar, a famed centre of scholarship that In recent weeks, as the coronavirus has opened in AD 972, tears flowed down the ripped through the facilities, their unsanitary cheeks of the muezzin, Sheikh Mohamed Ra- and overcrowded conditions have quickly be- shad Zaghloul, as he made the call to prayer come the subject of international attention. in an empty hall. “It was hard on my heart,” Singapore, recently lauded for its gold-stand- he said after midday prayers one day last ard approach to testing and tracing, now dem- week at the mosque, where a stray cat me- onstrates both the dangers of neglecting mar- andered between the ancient pillars. “When - CNN ginalized communities, and the vulnerability I call people, nobody can come. It feels like Pollama said she was stopped by higher caste community members as she tried to walk one kilometer to the market for food of nations to a second wave of infections. On God is refusing us.” The shuttered ancient Wednesday (22), the number of cases sur- mosques are a harbinger of another event By Adi ati ahir passed 10,000. This compares with just 200 that will be jarringly altered by the pandemic. infections recorded on March 15, when its out- Ramadan, the holy month of fasting, begins break appeared to be nearly under control. Al- today (24) and promises this year to be the A global food crisis looms most all new reports involve migrant workers. strangest experienced by any Cairene, not to Last week, the country extended a partial mention 1.8 billion Muslims worldwide. shutdown that was introduced at the start of A sacred period that is rooted in gather- April, with people told to stay indoors as much ing — at mosques, homes and on the streets ‘Instead of coronavirus, the hunger as possible. All migrant workers have been told — will be replaced with a month of solitary not to leave their dorms, and are instead hav- prayer, stifled celebrations and gnawing anx- ing food delivered by authorities. “It feels like iety over the silent march of a virus that has we’re in a prison. [It is] too difficult. [There is] closed a city that never, ordinarily, sleeps. will kill us’ too much heat in the room,” says A, who asked “It’s not going to be easy,” said Dr. Islam to remain anonymous, fearing that he might us,” said Singh, who was hoping to eat his Hussein, an Egyptian virologist based in the NAIROBI— In the largest slum in Ken- Africa to India, protests and looting have face repercussions for speaking to the media. first meal in a day. United States who runs a YouTube channel ya’s capital, people desperate to eat set off broken out amid frustrations from lock- None of the hundreds of people living on his Migrants waiting in food lines have that educates Egyptians about COVID-19. a stampede during a recent giveaway of downs and worries about hunger. With floor has tested positive. fought each other over a plate of rice and “People are attached to the rituals. It’s going flour and cooking oil, leaving scores in- classes shut down, more than 368 million When the coronavirus outbreak in China lentils. Singh said he was ashamed to beg to hurt.” jured and two people dead. children have lost the nutritious meals and began to escalate in January, it was feared for food but had no other option. Traditionally, Ramadan imposes a gentler In India, thousands of workers are lin- snacks they normally receive in school. that Singapore, a major regional business hub, “The lockdown has trampled on our dig- rhythm on the usual hurly-burly of Cairo, a ing up twice a day for bread and fried veg- There is no shortage of food globally, or would be especially vulnerable. The country nity,” he said. loud and boisterous megalopolis. At night, etables to keep hunger at bay. mass starvation from the pandemic — yet. acted quickly to minimize the risk of transmis- Refugees and people living in conflict sidewalk cafes and high-end hotels teem with And across Colombia, poor households But logistical problems in planting, har- sion: border restrictions were introduced, an zones are likely to be hit the hardest. patrons who socialize into the wee hours. are hanging red clothing and flags from vesting and transporting food will leave exhaustive contract-tracing programme rolled The curfews and restrictions on move- Then comes suhoor, the predawn meal be- their windows and balconies as a sign that poor countries exposed in the coming out and a home quarantine system was strictly ment are already devastating the meagre fore another day of fasting. Families visit one they are hungry. months, especially those reliant on im- enforced. Tests were also made free for all. incomes of displaced people in Uganda another, or seriously ill relatives. Even lax “We don’t have any money, and now we ports, said Johan Swinnen, director gen- The country, which avoided sweeping shut- and Ethiopia, the delivery of seeds and Muslims observe the fast, and many abstain need to survive,” said Pauline Karushi, eral of the International Food Policy Re- down measures throughout March, appeared farming tools in South Sudan and the dis- to have contained the virus. But rights groups from alcohol. who lost her job at a jewellery business in search Institute in Washington. tribution of food aid in the Central African say little attention was paid to migrant work- This year, residents will be locked down Nairobi and lives in two rooms with her While the system of food distribution Republic. Containment measures in Ni- ers who, despite the pandemic, continued to at home under a nightly curfew that starts child and four other relatives. “That means and retailing in rich nations is organized ger, which hosts almost 60,000 refugees live in close quarters, and spent hours a day at 8 o’clock. Some wealthier Cairenes have not eating much.” and automated, he said, systems in de- fleeing conflict in Mali, have led to surges travelling on the back of crowded lorries to fled to beach resorts. The great ancient sites, The coronavirus pandemic has brought veloping countries are “labour intensive,” in the pricing of food, according to the In- get to and from construction sites. “The way like the pyramids, are closed, and police of- hunger to millions of people around the making “these supply chains much more ternational Rescue Committee. the workers were stacked in [on the back of ficers roam scenic sites, like the bridges on world. National lockdowns and social dis- vulnerable to COVID-19 and social dis- The effects of the restrictions “may cause lorries], it was like the way goats are stacked the Nile, to discourage people from linger- tancing measures are drying up work and tancing regulations.” more suffering than the disease itself,” in when they are taken to a slaughter house,” ing. “This Ramadan is going to be flavour- incomes, and are likely to disrupt agri- Yet even if there is no major surge in said Kurt Tjossem, regional vice president says B, a second worker, who also asked to be less,” said Abdul Rehman, 19, at the deserted cultural production and supply routes — food prices, the food security situation for for East Africa at the International Rescue anonymous. Activists say they raised concerns lantern store he tends in Khan el Khalili, the leaving millions to worry how they will get poor people is likely to deteriorate signifi- Committee. about the risks posed by the virus to migrant city’s most famous bazaar. enough to eat. cantly worldwide. This is especially true As many go hungry, there is concern in workers as early as February. In March, the First the tourists vanished, after the clos- The coronavirus has sometimes been for economies like Sudan and Zimbabwe a number of countries that food shortages campaign group Transient Workers Count Too ing of the Cairo airport. Now Ramadan had called an equalizer because it has sickened that were struggling before the outbreak, will lead to social discord. In Colombia, (TWC2) said the risk of an outbreak among been cancelled, at least commercially speak- both rich and poor, but when it comes to or those like Iran that have increasingly residents of the coastal state of La Guajira this community was “undeniable”. ing. food, the commonality ends. It is poor used oil revenues to finance critical goods have begun blocking roads to call atten- When clusters began to emerge, the govern- “I just sit here and wait,” Rehman said people, including large segments of poorer like food and medicine. tion to their need for food. In South Africa, ment moved 7,000 workers, mostly people glumly, as two women, veiled and wearing nations, who are now going hungry and In Venezuela, the pandemic could deal a rioters have broken into neighbourhood who do essential jobs such as working on pow- face masks, skirted past him down an empty facing the prospect of starving. devastating blow to millions already living food kiosks and faced off with police. er plants, out of the buildings. About 293,000 alleyway. At the nearby Zuwayla Gate, where “The coronavirus has been anything in the world’s largest economic collapse And even charitable food giveaways can remain housed in such facilities. Authorities criminals were once hanged, traders sold but a great equalizer,” said Asha Jaffar, a outside wartime. expose people to the virus when throngs say they will prioritize relocating older people. the giant colourful lanterns that are a mark volunteer who brought food to families in In the sprawling Petare slum on the out- appear, as happened in Nairobi’s shanty- Cleaning services have been increased to im- of Ramadan in Cairo. Business had halved, the Nairobi slum of Kibera after the fatal skirts of the capital, Caracas, a nationwide prove hygiene, officials say, and meals are also town of Kibera earlier this month. several sellers reported. Like most of his cus- stampede. “Its been the great reveal, pull- lockdown has left Freddy Bastardo and being delivered to prevent workers needing “People called each other and came tomers, Ahmad Saeed, a shop owner, refused ing the curtain back on the class divide five others in his household without jobs. to use communal kitchens. The outbreak has rushing,” said Valentine Akinyi, who to wear a mask. “If God wants us to die, so it and exposing how deeply unequal this Their government-supplied rations, which brought to the surface the glaring inequality in works at the district government office will be,” he said. country is.” had arrived only once every two months Singapore, which relies heavily on a workforce where the food was distributed. “People So far, the virus has taken a relatively mod- Already, 135 million people had been before the crisis, have long run out. of about a million migrant workers to build have lost jobs. It showed you how hungry est toll on Egypt, with 3,333 confirmed cases facing acute food shortages, but now with “We are already thinking of selling its famous skyscrapers, and clean its gleam- they are.” and 250 reported deaths in a country of 100 the pandemic, 130 million more could go things that we don’t use in the house to be ing shopping malls. Most have travelled to To assuage the impact of this crisis, million people. Turkey, which has 82 million hungry in 2020, said Arif Husain, chief able to eat,” said Bastardo, 25, a security the country from Bangladesh, India and other some governments are fixing prices on inhabitants, has 91,000 cases. But the curve economist at the World Food Program, a guard. “I have neighbours who don’t have south Asian countries, in the hope of sending food items, delivering free food and put- is accelerating, raising fears that the worst is UN agency. Altogether, an estimated 265 food, and I’m worried that if protests start, money back home. Their lifestyles are a stark ting in place plans to send money transfers yet to come. million people could be pushed to the we wouldn’t be able to get out of here.” contrast to the country’s wealthy elite and fi- to the poorest households. Down the centuries, Egyptians tried to sur- brink of starvation by year’s end. Uncertainty over food is also building nancial workers. Kokila Annamalai, a local Yet communities across the world are vive plagues by flocking to mosques rather “We’ve never seen anything like this be- in India, where daily-wage workers with activist who supports migrant workers, fears also taking matters into their own hands. than shunning them. The magnificent Sul- fore,” Husain said. “It wasn’t a pretty pic- little or no social safety net face a future that the spread of COVID-19 within the dor- Some are raising money through crowd- tan Hassan mosque was built at the height ture to begin with, but this makes it truly where hunger is a more immediate threat mitories has fanned the flames of xenophobia funding platforms, while others have of the Black Death in the 14th century. Dur- unprecedented and uncharted territory.” than the virus. and racism. She points to comments made begun programs to buy meals for needy ing later plagues, worshipers gathered to The world has experienced severe hun- As wages have dried up, half a million online and in the media. “On top of [the view families. pray for deliverance said Amina Elbendary, ger crises before, but those were regional people are estimated to have left cities to that] ‘it’s their fault for not being clean and for On a recent afternoon, Jaffar and a professor of Arab and Islamic civilizations and caused by one factor or another — ex- walk home, setting off the nation’s “larg- their eating habits’ and things like that, there a group of volunteers made their way at the American University in Cairo. Such treme weather, economic downturns, wars est mass migration since independence,” is also this almost worse mind set of ‘they’re through Kibera, bringing items like sugar, prayers stopped only after the majority of or political instability. said Amitabh Behar, the chief executive of driving our numbers up and it makes us look flour, rice and sanitary pads to dozens of congregants had died. This hunger crisis, experts say, is global Oxfam India. bad on the world stage, and they should go families. A native of the area herself, Jaffar home,’ she said. Still, the restrictions on worship today cut and caused by a multitude of factors linked On a recent evening, hundreds of mi- said she started the food drive after hear- While such remarks have been condemned deep. At the gates of Syeda Zainab, a glit- to the coronavirus pandemic and the en- grant workers, who have been stuck in ing so many stories from families who said by Singapore’s home affairs and law minister, tering shrine in the east of the city, Mohsen suing interruption of the economic or- New Delhi after a lockdown was imposed they and their children were going to sleep KasiviswanathanShanmugam, campaigners Hussein offered his prayers at a police bar- der: the collapse in oil prices; widespread in March with little warning, sat under hungry. say official messages have also been unhelpful. ricade, facing a shuttered door. “As long as shortages of hard currency from tourism the shade of a bridge waiting for food to The food drive has so far reached 500 Workers have been urged to “be responsible,” I stand here, I feel close to the Syeda,” said drying up; overseas workers not having arrive. The Delhi government has set families. But with all the calls for assis- wear face masks at all times, report symptoms Hussein, a carpenter, referring to the shrine’s earnings to send home; and ongoing prob- up soup kitchens, yet workers like Nihal tance she’s getting, she said, “that’s a drop to their dormitory operators and stay at least saint. “It’s very painful to have a barrier with lems like climate change, violence, popu- Singh go hungry as the throngs at these in the ocean.” one metre from one another. A recent study by someone you love.” lation dislocations and humanitarian dis- centres have increased in recent days. “In- asters. Already, from Honduras to South stead of coronavirus, the hunger will kill -New York Times Mohan Dutta, a professor at Massey Univer- -New York Times sity in New Zealand, suggests such guidance is often just impractical. The overwhelming ma- jority of about 100 workers surveyed said they were unable to maintain such a distance at all times. More than half described their rooms as Funeral streaming on the rise unhygienic. Just last week, workers reported that they did not have enough soap to wash their hands. Workers are generally reluctant to voice As bereaved asked to stay home complaints. Most take out huge debts in order BERLIN- In another cruel development of line attendance at funeral services," the The new online services aimed to offer "can stream from churches, crematoriums to work in Singapore, often to find on arrival the coronavirus pandemic, the family and company said. mourners relief from "confusing and dif- and even the graveside" for upwards of 550 that they will be paid less than promised. A friends of many who have died in recent Meanwhile funeral homes in the Spanish ficult to accept" feelings about the death of pounds (677 dollars). In New Zealand, a fu- typical salary is around S$500-750 (£285- weeks have been advised by health experts capital Madrid say they will begin stream- loved ones from Covid-19, SFM said. neral company is charging a fee of 199 New £425) a month. They are required to hold tem- Normal procedure in Spain during the Zealand dollars (119 US dollars) for a ser- porary work permits, but these are tied to their not to gather in person for large funerals. ing funerals online, allowing relatives and employer, making them extremely vulnerable Lockdowns in many countries and in- friends of deceased to actively participate in pandemic is for undertakers to take the vice to be streamed using OneRoom. to exploitation. Many in Singapore are sym- structions to limit funeral size from health ceremonies. dead directly from morgues and drive them In Germany, current social distancing pathetic towards the workers. “They deserve officials such as the US Centres for Disease Relatives can choose between religious straight to cemeteries for cremation or bur- rules mean only the closest family members more. They deserve what every Singaporean Control and Prevention (CDC) have made and secular services, as well as whether to ial. - parents, spouse and children - are allowed deserves,” says William Lai, a photographer. mourning during the pandemic all the more include photographs, videos or audio of the In other countries, family members have to attend funerals, while friends and other In a speech this week, Singapore’s Prime Min- hard. deceased in the online ceremony, the Fu- resorted to streaming the ceremony them- relatives cannot currently say goodbye in ister, Lee Hsien Loong, said migrant workers However, video streaming is increasingly neral Services of Madrid (SFM) say, accord- selves via Facebook Live or YouTube. person. would be cared for in the same way as Singa- being used to allow the bereaved to take ing to a Europa Press news agency report. However the inevitable technical glitches This being very difficult for many, under- poreans: “We will look after your health, your part in a ceremony, even if they can't be Spain, the second worst-hit country in have only made the grieving process harder takers have begun recording funerals on welfare and your livelihood.” there in person. Europe after Italy, has been under strict in many cases, according to one report from video and later making it available to the Dutta believes the crisis could present an OneRoom, a funeral streaming platform lockdown since mid-March, preventing Vice magazine's tech website Motherboard. mourners, according to Christian Jaeger, opportunity to reform how migrant workers that has been broadcasting services in the relatives from attending funerals for several "Thanks for blocking the livestream of head of a local undertaker association in the are treated, but he added that small tweaks US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand weeks. my friends funeral that I couldn’t go to be- state of Rhineland-Palatinate. would not be enough. “Substantive changes for several years, says it saw a 60% rise in Many relatives of the more than 20,000 cause they played 'copyrighted music'," one While this is a nice gesture, he said, it will are needed in how Singapore looks at migrant viewer numbers in just one week in April. Spanish people to have died in the pandem- person said on Twitter, posting a photo of never replace personal contact in a funeral workers, what rights migrant workers have, "With the coronavirus now triggering ic are themselves required to self-isolate at a YouTube livestream apparently blacked- setting. and how they are able to advocate for their travel restrictions and public gatherings, home if they had contact with the deceased out due to copyright infringement. In the -dpa own health and wellbeing,” he said. OneRoom has seen a huge increase in on- in the days before their deaths. UK, one funeral streaming service says it -The Guardian 6 APRIL 24 - 26, 2020 WEEKEND EXPRESS COMMENTARY

Editorial of The NYT COVID-19 threatens global safety net Having rampaged through the wealthier Northern Hemisphere, the coronavirus is expected to strike next in the poorer South, where many countries are far less equipped to cope with the medical and eco- nomic ravages. Fortunately, there are international organizations such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Health Organization (WHO) to help with just such a contingency. Unfor- tunately, the Trump administration is hampering the work of these critically needed agencies. President Donald Trump took aim first at the WHO last week, suspending funding for the organization pending a review of its handling of the outbreak, which he deemed too slow and too reverential toward China. Next, the White House turned to the IMF, blocking a new issue of its “spe- cial drawing rights,” an international reserve asset created by the fund in 1969 to supplement member countries’ official reserves. There is some understandable anger at inter- national institutions. The WHO was slow off the mark, and its public statements praising China’s measures against the virus made no reference to Beijing’s initial silence and continuing disinforma- tion campaign about the outbreak. The special drawing rights, for their part, are allocated in pro- portion to voting rights in the IMF, so the greatest benefit would be for stronger economies that need it less. But these are arguments best left for normal – J Sujeewakumar/.ENCL times. They certainly have no place when instru- A woman prays near the St. Anthony’s church on the first anniversary of the Easter Sunday attacks in Colombo on Tuesaday (21) ments of immediate economic and medical aid, created for just the sort of crisis the world is suffer- By Sivahan Suathy ing today, are most desperately needed. At the out- set Trump had nothing but praise for the WHO’s and China’s handling of the pandemic — the WHO, A year after Easter bombings he said initially, was “working very hard and very smart,” and as late as March 27, he tweeted ful- some praise for China: “China has been through much & has developed a strong understanding of the virus.” The IMF, it seems, was not yet on his radar. Sri Lanka is facing a different What changed? Mostly growing criticism of Trump and grumbling in conservative circles that China was gaining ground in the coronavirus propaganda sweepstakes. The WHO was a natural scapegoat for the failings of the federal govern- kind of crisis ment, even though by most metrics it was far ahead of the administration in taking action. The first anniversary of the Easter We have had two different govern- homes, not unwillingly, but not with- nying continuities, counting one’s friends The president first raised the idea of cutting Bombings is a time for reflection. We ments overseeing the accelerating trends out apprehension, nor with any sense of and foes, “us” and the Muslim. This has payments to the WHO two weeks ago, then backed cannot have much action these days, of Sinhala Buddhist chauvinism and see certainty, there were others, like the gar- persisted unrelentingly and blatantly into down, acknowledging that a global pandemic was holed down deep in the bowels of our no halt to this rising trend. We see ma- ment workers, who actually had to take to COVID-19 days, leaving us with a greater “maybe not” the time to freeze funding for the or- single and singular homes. Since April 21 joritarian tendencies riding high at every the streets, for they were left stranded, far apprehension of what awaits us in the ganization coordinating international health work. last year, much water has passed under turn. Barely 10 years after the conclusion away from home, without wages, without coming days, post COVID-19, when we Then last week he decided it was just the time, tell- the bridge. Today, we are left with a civi- to the civil war, have we as a country not food, without dwellings. all may be compelled to face an economic ing a White House briefing that “the reality is that lizational threat posed to our very sense learnt any lessons. Workers, the homeless, urban daily lockdown and social and political uncer- the WHO failed to adequately obtain, vet and share of humanity, in a broad understanding of Today, locked down again, but this waged workers, agricultural workers and tainty. information in a timely and transparent fashion.” what DivyaDwivedi and Shaj Mohan call time as a country, not divided into bomb- fishing communities, industrial workers As Dwivedi and Mohan stress, we as What the suspension actually means remains un- the “time of the human, the uncanny ani- ers and victims, Muslims and the rest of in garment factories, tea plantation work- humans are invested in a sense of the for- clear, even in the White House, like so many other mal.” Yet, I am left with an uncanny sense the world, not saddled with battling the ers, migrant workers – women and men, saken, this moment and each of us pre- pronouncements by Trump. that it is business as usual in Sri Lanka. question of a non-existent niqab prob- are in an economic lockdown, left desti- cious, yet forsaken. With that thought of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has argued that the After the Easter Bombings, life seemed lem, COVID-19 could have brought us to- tute by the arrogance of power, their em- contemplation of memory, the passage president can’t block money allocated by Congress, to stand still; the country was in a state gether, even if not socially and politically, ployers. Franklyn Amerasinghe’s request of time, and this critical moment of our and in any case the United States is apparently not of shock, we were in near lockdown for at least imaginatively and affectively. The for an employers’ bailout crystallises the living, we remember all those who died required to make its next payment until after the more than weeks; we left our homes gin- scare, the threat and the effort to build a sentiments of the industrial managerial last April in the bombings. In that, I want review period of 60 to 90 days. What the White gerly, looking over our shoulders; worse, sense of humanity, even a sense of com- class born of power and arrogance and a to see how we may go on into other mo- House could suspend are voluntary contributions, we faced a rapid spike in anti-Muslim munity, the sense that we are in this to- sense of entitlement. The threat of an eco- ments of our lives, and recount the words some of which are for programs, like polio eradica- rhetoric, culminating in riots, looting and gether, could have taken hold of us, could nomic slump seems very, very real, and of the poet. tion, supported by the US Agency for International murder. have helped build bridges, empathise, is already rearing its ugly head. We may The season’s come to a close, Development. Families of those who died in the ter- look out for each other. face the most difficult period not during We are about to go, For all its shortcomings, the WHO identified the rible bombings will remember this day As the truth of COVID-19 dawned the COVID-19 crisis, but in its aftermath. In this halfway resting place, new illness then spreading in Wuhan as a result of last year with renewed grief and horror. on us, what it could mean to us, we as Despite the cataclysmic changes You looked after us well. the novel coronavirus on January 9; it provided a As a country, we have offered nothing to a country were overwhelmed by a deep brought on by tragedies like the Easter (From the poem ‘Halal’ by FazeelKari- fairly accurate description by January 23; and on them, no solace, no answers, nothing of a sense of insecurity. Economic, politi- bombings, or COVID-19, there are un- apper) January 30 it declared “a public health emergency sense of justice. To the Muslim commu- cal and social insecurities underline the derlying continuities, like elections for -Sivamohan Sumathy is attached of international concern.” All the while it was shar- nity, which was targeted mercilessly in lockdown, even as people by and large one. We also see greater empowerment of to the Department of English, Uni- ing critical information with US officials at WHO the ensuing days, we have only renewed obeyed, saluted the medical sector, went the military establishment, following the versity of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka and headquarters in Geneva. Nevertheless, in late anti-Muslim hate speech and an uncriti- into quarantine and self-isolation. While institutionalizing of the calamities and this article was originally featured on February, Trump was still saying infections in the cal media. the middle classes receded into their responses to it. We have other accompa- thewire.in United States would soon go “close to zero.” The IMF and its special drawing rights are a somewhat different story, with the same result. By ndi Saaraiva With the realization growing that emerging and developing countries are facing crises far in excess of what rich countries have endured, the manag- ing director of the Fund, Kristalina Georgieva, told How a healthy democracy fights epidemics the Fund’s annual meeting, held virtually, that the world had never seen such a growing demand for We should all learn from Korea. China The second law is power eting and much of the planning is also ship like Singapore) has the capacity to pre-determined. You don’t need to have react this fast. Even then, they only have emergency funding, which for poorer countries was able to hack and amputate its way The next most important question is power struggles or debates in the middle these institutions because of SARS and would amount to trillions of dollars. out of an epidemic, but there’s a bet- who. If you depend on whatever politi- of an epidemic, this is already defined. MERS. It is worth noting that America The most effective way to get the funding out ter way. That way is democracy. Laws, cian you just elected you’re screwed. Most importantly, all of these powers did have these institutions until Trump pronto was a new issue of the SDRs, she suggested, institutions, and people that follow Political responses are just too slow. An are conditional. If there’s an epidemic dismantled them. an idea that quickly found support from a broad them. epidemic response has to be instant and they kick in, and when it’s controlled the Hence today we must look East and range of finance ministers, economists and non- South Korea is fighting COVID-19 fast, like a hand pulling away from a fire. powers go away. This is vastly preferable not West. Korea is a successful society profit organizations. without lockdowns and economic car- The signal doesn’t even need to go to to blanket emergency powers, which that is both advanced and open, and they Lawrence Summers, the former US Treasury nage because it’s a democracy, not de- your brain, you just react. secretary, and Gordon Brown, a former British spite it. central governments often don’t give have excellent music, TV, and film. They chancellor of the Exchequer, argued in The Wash- So how did they do it? Government power back. follow the third law, which is controlling ington Post that “if ever there was a moment for But first and mandating the flow of information, You can’t just depend on the president The third law is information without being dictators about it. an expansion of the international money known Wait, wait, wait, what does a random because A) they’re busy and B) could be IMHO (In my humble opinion), if this as Special Drawing Rights, it is now.” Writing in Sri Lankan know about Korean laws? a fool. There has to be an institutional epidemic had started in Korea (or Tai- How healthy democracies win the Financial Times, Chancellor Angela Merkel of I know because of the COVID Trans- response and it has to be fast, automatic wan or Singapore), it would have been As you can see, given time and prepa- Germany joined President Emmanuel Macron of late project. This volunteer resource and backed by law. controlled. ration, a democracy is better at respond- France and major African leaders to urge the IMF gives all of us access to official Korean In Korean law, significant powers are China is a dictatorship and no one ing to epidemics than a dictatorship. Not to decide quickly on SDRs to “provide additional guidance, including an Appendix that given to the Minister of Health which moved until Xi Jinping dictated it. This just any democracy, of course, it needs liquidity for the procurement of basic commodities covers all the legalities. I’ve also read the they can delegate to the KCDC, gover- was too slow. If local authorities had to be one where people understand the and essential medical supplies.” entire act and will cite from it through- nors or mayors. Local authorities can, in been empowered to act even days ear- threat of epidemics and have demanded No, said the White House. It would be bet- out. turn, appoint powerful Epidemic Con- lier, infections could have been halved. a response. It also can’t be a failed state ter for advanced countries to contribute to other However, note that I only provide col- trol Officers. If anyone doesn’t follow In Korea, by contrast, power is highly like America or the UK. IMF programs, said Treasury Secretary Steven our commentary. The source documents orders or report information, there are devolved. Even a town mayor can seal But this is possible. Not now, it can’t Mnuchin. There is the possibility the White House are available to all. Please read and share fines of up to 20 million won ($16,000). does not want to see IMF resources go to countries them yourself. off areas, restrict gatherings, etc. At the be done in the middle of an epidemic, it sees as adversaries, such as Iran or Venezuela People power same time, clear information flow is but consider this an inoculation by fire. or even China, even if that causes untold damage The first law is time mandated by law, and whistle-blowers We must prepare for the next. Korea (1)At the same time, these laws also are protected. Doctors and local authori- provides a legal blueprint, operational elsewhere. This isn’t a legal concept, it’s just protect and define the rights of citizens. It is natural that an unexpected pandemic would ties must report outbreaks up by law. guidance, and a lot of data as well. physics. Time just moves forward, and The government just doesn’t just be- For zoonotic diseases (from animals, If you have a democracy, take the time send governments first to look after their own. the right time for this epidemic response come all-powerful because it’s an emer- But the fact is that this is a global crisis, which will like COVID-19), they must be reported to think about and demand proper epi- is in the past. gency, it has only the specific powers directly to the KCDC. demic laws. If you do, you can build a require a global response. Korea wholly amended its Infectious listed in this act. One country may succeed in tamping down infec- If you read these laws, you’ll notice national immune system. Something Disease Control and Prevention Act The government also has responsibili- that they rarely mention the President. that finds infections, isolates them and tions, but so long as the virus is raging elsewhere in 2009, over a decade ago. They have ties. As mentioned they are required to it threatens to come back, again and again, as it is Everything is done through institu- reacts fast — without destroying your amended it 10 times since. The act it- plan, and they are also required to share tions, not politicians. China was able to body politic. We don’t have a vaccine for doing already in China. self contains a requirement for updated information during an epidemic. More important, it is a mark of national and respond decisively because they were COVID-19 and we definitely don’t have Master and Implementation Plans every (2) All citizens are entitled to know a dictatorship, but it was just too late. a vaccine for the next epidemic, but we global leadership to resist the impulse to push the five years. information on the occurrence status rest of the world away in a time like this. There A democracy with proper planning is can vaccinate nations. We just need an Hence the first rule is to prepare your of infectious diseases, on the preven- much better. injection of law. should be no need to explain why the United States epidemic response early and update it tion, control, etc. thereof, and methods But I don’t mean to be too hard on Chi- -Indi Samarajiva is a Colombo — the dominant and richest member of the WHO often. Almost every country has some of responding thereto. The government na. Decrepit democracies like America liberal, Writer, father, founder of and the IMF and a nation to which the world looks ancient quarantine law on the books, also has limits. For example, they have or the UK would have been even worse. YAMU and Kottu and contact: indi@ up in times of upheaval — should take the lead in but you’ll need to dust it off and keep it to compensate people if they take over or Only a truly modern democracy like Ko- indi.ca. This article was originally assisting countries the world over. ready. disinfect their buildings. All of the budg- rea or Taiwan (or a benevolent dictator- featured on medium.com WEEKEND EXPRESS APRIL 24 - 26, 2020 7 RETHINKING AMERICA

The White House By harles Bl By atie ers COVID-19, It won’t go away confusion and Trump’s scientists push back on his claim that uncertainty virus may not return Do you feel lost and anxious about the corona- virus crisis and the murky future that rises in its this fall wake? You are not alone. WASHINGTON — In February, President At the moment, the most urgent and impor- Donald Trump told the public that the coro- tant thing you can do is stay home (if you have navirus should “go away” by April. In March, the privilege to do so), wash your hands, be- he said that the virus may “wash” away by come teachers for your children and wait it out. summer. On Wednesday (22), Trump told the But there is a reckoning coming. We can all American public that the virus “won’t be com- feel it. ing back in the form that it was” this fall or win- The number of dead and infected in this coun- ter. He then mused that it might not come back try rises every day. A staggering 46,000-plus at all. people have already died, in about two months The scientists flanking him at a White House no less. We have not even tackled the first wave briefing explicitly said otherwise. of this virus, and we are already being warned “There will be coronavirus in the fall,” Dr. that the second wave could be even worse. Anthony S. Fauci, the federal government’s top - Doug Mills/The New York Times The director of the Centres for Disease Con- infectious disease expert, said as Trump looked President Donald Trump leaves a daily news conference about the coronavirus at the White House on Tuesday (21) trol and Prevention, Robert Redfield, told The on. Washington Post this week, “There’s a possibil- More than 40,000 Americans have died from ity that the assault of the virus on our nation the coronavirus, and the outbreak is still well Editorial of The NYT next winter will actually be even more difficult underway. But in his public remarks, Trump than the one we just went through.” has continued to broadcast his personal hopes That would mean a second, worse wave would for the virus, questioning its ability to last into overlap the election. How do we conduct a the fall and winter. Trump: Why waste a crisis? legitimate election or a reliable census in the “If we have embers of corona coupled with middle of a pandemic? the flu,” Trump said, “it’s not going to be what When things aren’t going smooth- would have met with fierce push- impermissible forms of congres- So far, there is no approved medical treat- we’ve gone through in any way, shape or form,” ly for President Donald Trump, his back. sional aggrandizement with re- ment for the virus and no vaccine. Social after saying, “It’s also possible it doesn’t come go-to move is to change the subject Environmental regulations have spect to the execution of the laws,” distancing is the only tool we have, yet we know back at all.” to topics that cheer his supporters been a top target. In late March, the statement said. that we can’t maintain it indefinitely. The president’s latest assertion seemed and drive his critics into parox- the Environmental Protection Less than two weeks later, the Money has to be earned; rent has to be paid; prompted by his anger with The Washington ysms of outrage. Trump’s decision Agency announced that, during president ousted Glenn Fine, the food has to be put on the table. Housing volatil- Post over an interview with Dr. Robert R. Red- Wednesday (22) to, as he pro- this national emergency, power acting inspector general for the ity and food insecurity are also dangerous and field, the director of the Centres for Disease claimed on Twitter, sign an “Exec- plants and factories would be al- Pentagon, who had been tasked deadly. Control and Prevention, published a day ear- utive Order prohibiting immigra- lowed to self-monitor their pol- with overseeing the administra- What happens when the rent comes due, even lier. In that interview, Redfield warned that fall tion into our Country today” seems lution and would not be fined for tion’s handling of the relief fund- after having been deferred during the early days and winter would be taxing on Americans be- designed as just such a distraction. violating certain reporting require- ing. of the crisis? Where the most vulnerable are cause influenza and the coronavirus would be The president first announced ments. The administration also Fine is not the only adminis- supposed to find that money? What happens if circulating at the same time. his intention in a late-night tweet issued its new rule gutting vehicle tration watchdog Trump has put a wave of post-virus evictions and foreclosures “He was misquoted,” Trump said. Monday (20), claiming it was a fuel efficiency standards. In mid- down. On April 3, he fired Michael sweep the housing market? “His whole purpose in making the statement necessary response to “the attack April, the agency changed the way Atkinson, the inspector general of What happens if small businesses are forced was to get a flu shot so that next fall we don’t from the Invisible Enemy” — his it calculates the benefits of regulat- the intelligence community, who to close en masse? What becomes of all those have such a big season of flu,” the president latest nickname for the coronavirus ing mercury, effectively weaken- alerted Congress to the existence of workers? What happens to their families? continued. — and “to protect the jobs of our ing regulation of it and other toxic the whistle-blower complaint that Sure, eventually, other businesses will likely But when pressed by reporters, Redfield said GREAT American citizens.” Like metals released by power plants. ultimately led to Trump’s impeach- rise where those fell, but it will not be an im- he had been accurately quoted. “There’s a pos- clockwork, Democrats denounced Most if not all of these moves are ment. mediate one-for-one switchover. There will be sibility that the assault of the virus on our na- his “xenophobia” and accused him likely to be ensnarled in lengthy, Along with Atkinson’s firing, the pain, and it will be sustained. tion next winter will actually be even more dif- of trying to shift the nation’s focus costly legal challenges. president announced “his intent to Furthermore, what happens to the educa- ficult than the one we just went through,” he away from his handling of the pan- Going forward, the administra- nominate” a handful of people to tional system when schools finally open? What said in that interview. demic. tion is poised to use executive ac- serve in inspector general positions On Wednesday, directed by the president about the lost time that students have suffered? But the outcry is also behind the tions to roll back regulations on throughout government, indicat- to take the stage, Redfield said, “When I com- What about all the students who didn’t have curve. In the name of protecting business, according to The Wash- ing a more expansive makeover. mented yesterday that there was a possibility of the technology to fully participate digitally? the nation, the Trump administra- ington Post. Measures said to be The White House has also taken next fall and winter, it could be more difficult, What about all those trapped in households tion has already shut down most under consideration include direct- advantage of a preoccupied nation more complicated when we had two respira- where existential stresses have led to abuse and legal immigration through more ing federal agencies not to enforce to further its project of packing tory illnesses circulating at the same time.” negligent behaviour has disincentivized logging piecemeal moves. In recent weeks, regulations on small businesses, as the judiciary with conservatives. He added: “I didn’t say that this was going on? How will all that time and lost momentum it has imposed tougher travel re- well as making permanent many of On April 3, Trump tapped Judge to be worse. I said that this was going to be be recaptured? strictions and has stopped process- the regulatory waivers temporar- Justin Walker for a seat on the in- more difficult.” Taking the lectern to quibble Beyond that, how will the crisis reshape high- ing most visas. Visa interviews are ily granted in response to the pan- fluential US Court of Appeals for with reporters over the article — which had the er education? Some institutions will undoubted- not taking place, nor are citizen- demic by agencies such as the Food the District of Columbia Circuit. headline “CDC Director Warns Second Wave ly be forced to close. More precisely, as a recent ship ceremonies. Migrants cross- and Drug Administration and the Walker is a 37-year-old protégé of of Coronavirus Is Likely to Be Even More Dev- McKinsey and Co. report put it: “Historically ing the border are now turned back EPA. Mitch McConnell, the Senate ma- astating” — Trump said that Redfield did not black colleges and universities (HBCUs) are an- without the usual protections for Those who have stood in the way jority leader, and has been serving actually know if “the corona” would come back, chor institutions, sites of cultural identity, talent minors and asylum-seekers. of Trump’s preferred prescriptions as a US District Court judge in Ken- and that he had spoken to the doctor at “great incubators, and regional economic engines. But As Trump elaborated at his Tues- for the pandemic have not fared tucky for around six months. The length” about his comments. the COVID-19 pandemic is likely to significantly day (21) news briefing, there will be well. This week, Dr. Rick Bright American Bar Association rated Asked how he could repeatedly assert that — and quickly — hobble them.” a 60-day “pause” in issuing green was bumped from his post atop the him “unqualified” for that post be- the coronavirus would come back in pockets or Then, there are the quality of life questions. cards — although he said that could agency charged with developing cause of his inexperience not at all by the winter, Trump said multiple One of the great tragedies of this virus, one that be extended “based on economic a coronavirus vaccine. Bright told There is nothing inherently times that there was reason to believe it might receives less discussion because it can sound conditions.” Responding in part The Times that he was dismissed wrong about Trump pursuing his not. Health experts — including Redfield — trivial in the face of so much death and suffer- to a backlash from business, the for demanding that the emer- agenda during this pandemic, or have stressed that Americans need to be pre- ing, is how will the very nature of human, com- ban, for now at least, will not affect gency funding be invested in “safe even using it to help make his case pared either way. guest worker programs, including and scientifically vetted solutions” for action. munal interaction be altered? “If it does come back, it’s not going to come seasonal farm workers and indi- rather than remedies “that lack sci- On the other side of the aisle, I personally don’t think these discussions are back, and I’ve spoken to 10 different people, it’s viduals with H-1B visas. entific merit.” He specifically cited Democrats are putting a corona- small or trivial or inconsequential at all. Culture not going to be like it was,” the president said, To recap: The president is trum- his resistance to the “broad use” virus-spin on their priorities, from and custom nurture and anchor us. Without citing improved containment and mitigation peting a temporary ban on immi- of chloroquine and hydroxychlo- health care reform to paid family them, we feel lost; we are lost. efforts. gration to protect American jobs roquine, which Trump was hawk- leave to an expansion of mail-in How will we celebrate a life or mourn a death When pressed by reporters, Dr. Deborah L. that exempts many employment- ing as wonder drugs until the past voting. As Rahm Emanuel, the with no gatherings or funerals? A friend of mine Birx, the White House coronavirus response based programs. few days, when additional research former White House chief of staff, in New York just lost her elderly father to the coordinator, did not directly support the presi- While Trump’s executive order emerged spotlighting the medi- memorably opined during the virus. For the funeral, the guests were limited dent’s assertion. But Fauci, another leading sci- is flashy, in policy terms, it is less cines’ lack of proven efficacy and 2009 financial meltdown, “Never to 10 people, they had to essentially dress their entific voice for the administration, supported an announcement of what he is go- potentially lethal risks in treating allow a good crisis go to waste. It’s elderly mother in a hazmat suit to keep her Redfield’s assertion that the virus would be ing to do than what he has already COVID-19 patients. an opportunity to do the things you safe, and there were no speakers. (They feared here in the fall. done in realizing an anti-immigra- Trump is also eager to restore once thought were impossible.” speaking was an easy way to spread the virus.) “What Dr. Redfield was saying, first of all, is tion vision formed long before any- and expand tax cuts, always a pop- But this president has repeatedly Instead, people read verses and sang songs via that we will have coronavirus in the fall. I am one had ever heard of COVID-19. ular move with his party. He has demonstrated his eagerness to ex- Zoom. convinced of that,” he said, adding: “It’s going As for immigrants already here, been pushing Congress to bring ploit any available opening, or to What happens when we are no longer mark- to be complicated. So whether or not it’s going on Tuesday, the Department of back the corporate meal and en- invent new ones when necessary, to ing life’s milestones — a graduation, a promo- to be big or small is going to depend on our re- Education issued guidelines that tertainment deduction. “It’ll keep expand his authority and advance tion, a wedding — in person with the people we sponse.” will bar undocumented college stu- our restaurants going,” he insisted his own interests. Recall his real- love? The president has on multiple occasions sug- dents, including Dreamers, from at a briefing this month. “In fact, I locating billions of dollars from the How will the congregational energy of restau- gested that the pandemic would ease off in the receiving federal emergency aid for think the restaurant business will Pentagon’s budget to build a wall rants, bars and nightlife be altered and trans- summer, despite research showing otherwise. expenses, including food, housing be actually bigger and better than across a tiny portion of the South- formed? Will there be a further ostracizing of Several small studies have indicated that while and child care. it is right now.” ern border, for instance, under the the elderly, for their own good? warmer temperatures might make it harder for Choking off legal immigration is Beyond policy, Trump is work- guise of a national emergency last the coronavirus to survive in the air or on sur- What will happen to the handshake and the just one aspect of the administra- ing to dismantle oversight of his year. While presidential tweets faces for long periods of time, it could still be hug? tion’s long-standing agenda that’s administration. Immediately after and briefings are shiny objects to contagious for hours, if not days. There are so many worrisome questions about being cast as a pandemic response. signing the $2 trillion relief bill, distract the news media and pub- Cases have also continued to explode in what a post-virus world and post-virus America In the midst of the crisis, the ad- he issued a signing statement say- lic, the Trump administration’s countries with equatorial climates and those in will look like. ministration has ploughed ahead ing that he would be ignoring some lower-profile activity begs for even the Southern Hemisphere, which is currently And that is if we can get to post-virus. with non-COVID priorities that, of the oversight measures written stricter scrutiny — especially in the in the middle of summer. -New York Times -New York Times in more normal times, most likely into the bill. “These provisions are midst of a global crisis.

By ihael Shear and aie aeran Health department doctor says doubts on hydroxychloroquine led to his ouster WASHINGTON — The official who led Department, saying he was pressured to small studies that indicated patients could In briefing after briefing with report- developed irregular heart rates. Then a the federal agency involved in develop- direct money toward hydroxychloroquine, be harmed — appear to have dampened ers at the White House, Trump defied the study this week of 368 Veterans Affairs ing a coronavirus vaccine said Wednesday one of several “potentially dangerous Trump’s enthusiasm for it. voices of medical experts and some of his patients, which has not been peer-re- (22) that he was removed from his post drugs promoted by those with political As the seriousness of the pandemic be- own top advisers, including Dr. Anthony viewed, found that it did not help patients after he pressed for rigorous vetting of connections” and repeatedly described by came clearer in mid-March, the president Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease avoid the need for ventilators and that the hydroxychloroquine, an anti-malaria drug the president as a potential “game chang- seized on anecdotal reports about victims specialist and an adviser to the corona- use of the drug alone was associated with embraced by President Donald Trump as er” in the fight against the virus. of the coronavirus who recovered quickly virus task force. They cautioned that hy- an increased risk of death. And a panel of a coronavirus treatment, and that the ad- “I believe this transfer was in response after using the drug. Desperate for good droxychloroquine, which is used to treat the government’s own experts at the Na- ministration has put “politics and crony- to my insistence that the government in- news as he watched the death toll climb autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid ar- tional Institute of Allergy and Infectious ism ahead of science.” vest the billions of dollars allocated by and the stock market plummet, Trump thritis and lupus as well as malaria, need- Diseases said there was “insufficient data” Rick Bright was abruptly dismissed this Congress to address the COVID-19 pan- could hardly contain his excitement. ed to undergo the same kind of rigorous to recommend taking it to treat symptoms week as director of the Department of demic into safe and scientifically vetted In a post on Twitter on March 21, the evaluation that other drugs do. from the virus. Health and Human Services’ Biomedical solutions, and not in drugs, vaccines and president urged federal officials to quickly At the end of March, a division of The president has not talked much since Advanced Research and Development Au- other technologies that lack scientific approve the use of hydroxychloroquine Novartis, a leading pharmaceutical com- then about hydroxychloroquine. thority, or BARDA, and removed as dep- merit,” he said in his statement. “I am with an antibiotic called azithromycin — a pany, donated 30 million doses of hydrox- In his statement, Bright did not directly uty assistant secretary for preparedness speaking out because to combat this dead- combination that he believed could work ychloroquine sulphate to the Health De- name Trump. But the searing language he and response. He was given a narrower ly virus, science — not politics or cronyism on the coronavirus. “Hopefully they will partment’s stockpile for the possible use used left little doubt that he viewed the job at the National Institutes of Health. — has to lead the way.” BOTH (H works better with A, Interna- of treating COVID-19. Trump heralded administration’s support for the drug as In a scorching statement, Bright, who Doubts about the use of hydroxychlo- tional Journal of Antimicrobial Agents) be the announcement a few days later, say- pressure to ignore scientific facts in favour received a Ph.D. in immunology and mo- roquine as a treatment for the corona- put in use IMMEDIATELY,” he tweeted. ing that the drug “may work, then again, it of politics. lecular pathogenesis from Emory Univer- virus and the lack of evidence about the “PEOPLE ARE DYING, MOVE FAST, and may not work.” In mid-April, a small trial -New York Times sity, assailed the leadership at the Health drug’s effectiveness — including some GOD BLESS EVERYONE!” in Brazil was halted after some patients 8 APRIL 24 - 26, 2020 WEEKEND EXPRESS SRI LANKA FOCUS

By uy ale ‘It's a very worrying time' A country’s recovery interrupted by coronavirus A year on from the Easter bombs that killed more than 250 people, Sri Lanka is now under pandemic lockdown and facing rising pressure. President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, whose deci- sion to include individuals accused of atrocities during the country’s 25-year civil war among his political appointments has been a source of in- ternational opprobrium, is now under fire over the country’s repressive, militarized response to COVID-19. With tensions increasing, and Parliament and courts suspended, a civil society that had been - medirasa.com working hard to rebuild trust and harmony A selection of herbs traditionally used in Sri Lankan homes, known to have medicinal properties, to help boost immunity, and sometimes even antiseptic properties from the ground up is struggling. It was April 21, 2019 when three large bombs By ilrukshi andunnetti targeting Christians and tourists, were trig- gered. HasaruJayakody was at mass in Negombo, where 115 people would die, including his moth- Herbs most wanted er Priyanthi whom he describes as “the best per- son I ever met.” Badly injured, he spent his 17th birthday in hospital. Panic buying amid pandemic is driving scarcity in medicinal herbs A statue of Jesus, spattered with blood, has been preserved in a clear box as a poignant re- COLOMBO — Sri Lanka imposed a these items from suppliers but they can’t dalwood (Pterocarpussantalinus), black The current scarcity is artificially driv- minder for the people of Negombo, who over the lockdown in response to the COVID-19 match the market demand, both indi- pepper (Piper nigrum), bin kohomba en, but practitioners of traditional medi- past year have been working to come through pandemic on March 16, but residents of viduals and producers of native medicine (Munroniapinnata), katuwelbatu or wild cine say they fear the current trend may the trauma together. this Indian Ocean island had been panic like Ayurveda practitioners,” said Sugan- eggplant (Solanum virginianum), su- cause over-extraction and exploitation of The physical environment has been rebuilt. buying various foods and supplies long tha de Silva, a grocery store owner in the vandakapuru (Gaultheria leschenaultii), medicinal plants. The parish priest, Father Manjula, has support- before then. Among the most sought-af- Mt. Lavinia suburb of Colombo. heenaraththa or snap ginger (Alpiniacal- “Requirements vary depending on the ed efforts to repair trust by reminding his con- ter items: several popular herbs known to Among the popular herbs that swiftly carata), nelli or Indian gooseberry (Phyl- concoction. Sourcing the right ingredi- gregation that their God tells them to forgive. boost the immune system. went missing or now fetch exorbitant lanthusemblica), and rasakinda or heart- ents in correct quantities is extremely Jayakody initially found he needed to keep Days before the announcement of the prices are ginger (Zingiberofficinale), leaved moonseed (Tinosporacordifolia). important to ensure product quality,” talking about what had happened. It was from preventive nationwide lockdown, there coriander seeds (Coriandrumsativum), Sri Lanka has at least four established Gunaratne said. his mother’s example, he says, that he learned was a surge in bulk buying of popular veniwel or yellow vine (Cosciniumfen- traditional treatment systems: Ayurveda, There have been occasional scarcities how to forgive. Jayakody now teaches younger herbs such as ginger, lime, turmeric, and estratum), and onions (Allium cepa), all Unani, Siddha, and DeshiyaChikitsa, of certain plants in the past, she said, children at Sunday school and hopes to become coriander seeds, driving prices up and known for their immunity-boosting me- or indigenous treatment — all popular such as when they become trendy. These an engineer in honour of his mother. causing scarcity in many areas. More dicinal properties. Lime (Citrus aurantii- methods of treating people. include monarakudumbiya or little iron- But the wider environment is challenging. than a month into the lockdown, demand folia) and turmeric (Curcuma longa) are Besides the use of medicinal plant re- weed (Vernoniacinerea), vara (Calotro- In the immediate aftermath, some Muslim for those same herbs remains strong, and also popular, both in cooking as well as sources in Ayurveda, herbs are extensive- pisprocera), and kothalahimbutu (Sala- businesses were boycotted by Sinhala or Bud- supplies are short. for their antiseptic properties. ly used in Sri Lankan homes to build up cia reticulata), which is widely used as a dhist customers – until leaders came together In the capital, Colombo, goods distrib- Traditional Ayurveda practitioners immunity, fight contagious diseases, and treatment for diabetes. through local inter-religious committees, rein- utor AfsanAhamed told Mongabay that, recommend the consumption of herbal in cooking. Herbal drugs play a key role Over-extraction can make the com- forcing messages of harmony and emphasizing “It’s as if people wanted extra doses of drinks using coriander and veniwel to on native preventive care, with many Sri monest herbs a rarity. The Department of the right of all to live and work in Negombo. herbs to keep COVID-19 away from their boost the immune system, a practice that Lankans relying on traditional remedies Ayurveda, a government agency, warns When refugees faced physical attacks after the homes.” has been strongly advocated amid the over Western medicine. Fear of the side that, over the long-term, the overexploi- bombings, human rights activists like Ruki Fer- NamelThanaraja, a homemaker who COVID-19 pandemic. effects associated with the latter is one of tation of locally sourced herbs can have nando stepped in to protect them. has long used many of these same herbs Sri Lanka is home to 3,771 species of the factors that drive people to prefer na- an impact. “In the context of large numbers of dead, in- for cooking, described people waiting for flowering plants, of which 1,430, or near- tive treatments as the safer option. According to K.D.C.S. Kumarathunge, jured and the magnitude of the tragedy, refugees hours and fighting, in clear violation of ly two-fifths, have medicinal properties, Gunaratne, who runs a private practice the department’s commissioner, locals didn’t receive much attention and support from social distancing guidelines, to get ginger according to a 2019 study. A quarter of on the outskirts of Colombo, said many clearing traditional herbs to meet the the government, media, religious leaders and and lime in a leading supermarket chain. the flowering plants are found nowhere concoctions, pastes, medicinal oils and surge in demand would result in a decline overall, Sri Lankan society. But some politicians “Turmeric was nowhere visible. All those else on Earth, and this combination of powders depended on several of these in the availability of the herbs. and government officials were sympathetic and shelves were wiped clean,” she said. rich biodiversity and high endemism has plants as the key ingredients, but they “The artificial scarcity will turn into mindful of their duties,” he says, remembering “From the regular spices, turmeric was contributed significantly to the thriving had now become scarce. a real, long-term scarcity with several how the Negombo police station sheltered a the first to go missing. I haven’t been able and well-established tradition of native “Though commonly available medici- locally-sourced herbs being in short sup- large number of refugees at the height of unrest, to buy ginger from any delivery services medicine. nal herbs, we have never had a shortage ply. India has relaxed its decision to sus- despite being overstretched. in one month.” PushpaGunaratne, an Ayurveda phy- before,” said Chandrarathna Edirisin- pend exports and we have begun process- Harassment of Muslims had happened before, Another shopper, NishanthiSandamai, sician for nearly five decades, says this ghe, owner of a small native medicine ing papers to secure key items from India but the problem increased after the attacks. As said that she used to drink a concoction particular tradition uses hundreds of store known locally as a behethkade. such as yellow vine,” Kumarathunge said. some landlords and hosts were pressured to of boiled coriander twice a week, but that medicinal plant extracts to strengthen “Turmeric is already scarce because it’s Meanwhile, to meet the rising demand, evict them, human rights groups worked with since the first COVID-19 cases were re- the immune system. These include com- popular both as a spice and an antiseptic. with many herbs being harvested di- communities to support those at risk, opening ported in the country, she’s been drink- monly used herbs such as turmeric and Many other popular herbs are also scarce rectly from forests, plundering of forest their doors and providing food and medicine. ing it daily. Her latest trip to the super- yellow vine, to lesser known plants. now, and due to the lockdown, there are resources may also increase, Gunaratne Now with the current fears and restrictions, market failed to turn up any coriander. A host of other plants are used in problems in sourcing as well.” While the said. Fernando is worried about vulnerable commu- nities such as refugees, prisoners, the poor and Big retail stores and smaller boutiques Ayurveda to treat common illnesses. curfew has kept his business shut, Ediris- - Dilrukshi Handunnetti is a inghe said he hopes to reopen soon, but minorities. remain overwhelmed by the demand not These include adhatoda or Malabar nut Colombo based journalist and lawyer just for basic groceries but also for these (Justiciaadhatoda), Indian lilac or neem worries about sourcing herbs. “People “We are seeing both racism and authoritari- herbs. “All this panic buying has caused a (Azadirachtaindica), white or Indian believe in preventive native treatment. and this article was originally featured on anism raising their ugly heads in the middle of severe shortage. We are trying to source sandalwood (Santalum album), red san- Now we are out of stock,” he said. mongabay.com the fight against COVID,” he says. BhavaniFonseka, senior researcher at Colom- bo’s Centre for Alternative Policies think-tank, is also concerned. ntainent “What we’ve seen is extremely worrying. For nearly a decade in the run-up to last Easter The lament of a priest Sunday we didn’t have to worry about security Rotary Sri Lanka supports Ministry issues at such a scale but, since the bombings, Government has failed to we’ve seen a continuation of the securitization,” she says. of Health to combat COVID-19 investigate 2019 Easter bombings While conceding that this month’s parliamen- tary elections had to be postponed due to the A Sri Lankan priest criticized the government’s response outbreak, she is worried that there is no check Launches project to re-equip and modernize the MRI to last year’s Easter bombings, saying the failure to thor- on executive power. oughly investigate has amounted to a betrayal of the peo- “It’s a very, very worrying time in Sri Lanka,” ple. says Fonseka. COLOMBO – Always support- institute will be able to reduce the Father NishanthaCooray spoke to Aid to the Church ive of public safety endeavours, test time from around eight hours “This has not happened overnight … but if we in Need (ACN) on the first anniversary of the bombings continue to postpone parliamentary elections Rotary Sri Lanka has in partner- to just two hours, providing very that targeted numerous sites across the country, includ- ship with the Ministry of Health, accurate testing results. then there are worrying signs over whether we ing three churches, on April 21, 2019. The Easter attacks are heading towards autocratic rule. stepped forward to support Sri The speed will enable them to claimed over 259 lives and injured at least 500 more. Lanka’s foremost research lab – undertake many more tests within “When we mark one year on from the Easter Police made 135 arrests following the attacks. Former Sunday attacks, in this current uncertainty, has the Medical Research Institute the same time period, essentially president of Sri Lanka Maithripala Sirisena created a pres- (MRI) – which is at the forefront increasing capacity. It will also en- there really been healing and reckoning of what idential commission to look into the perpetrators behind happened?” of COVID-19 diagnosis. able MRI to test safely as manual the bombings. Current President Gotabaya Rajapaksa ap- Issuing a press release, Rotary testing carries with it a high-risk of JehanPerera, executive director of the Na- pointed a similar committee. tional Peace Council, runs awareness programs, Sri Lanka said it had commenced exposure. But Cooray, who ministered at victims’ funerals, argued a dialogue with the Ministry of The system is not available in educating communities about the origins of the that the actions undertaken so far are inadequate. He civil war, how to build peace, and the issues in- Health, with which it has main- Sri Lanka, not even in the private warned that if the government does not take the investiga- tained decades-long relation- sector. The equipment can also be volved in transitional justice. Perera acknowl- tion more seriously, it could lead to more attacks in the edges the support of senior international reli- ship through extensive services, used beyond the COVID-19 crisis future. at the initial stages of the outbreak, and had over the for other tests like CMV, BKV, hepatitis B and C (16 gious figures to help bring the communities to “Although we have completed one year [since the bomb- dialogue. weeks helped with the printing of publicity material, other virus PCR) in transplant patients, pregnant wom- ings], no acceptable step has been taken in arresting the upgrading of software and hardware in the health pro- en and new-born children. In the immediate aftermath, there were persons involved in the crime,” he said. claims – subsequently dismissed as untrue – motion bureau, shipping in digital thermometers from “We not only help cater to superior testing tech- The priest argued that politicians made promises of a India, and joined them, the World Health Organization niques, but also help protect our healthcare workers,” that Sri Lanka’s Muslims knew the bombing was thorough investigation, and gained votes by doing so, but planned and had let others down by not warning (WHO) and the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce in edu- said K.R. Ravindran, Chairman of the special task force have not followed through on these promises. “The new- cating its corporate employees via webinars. committee, adding “We are also supporting the front- them. ly elected government started the second chapter of the Perera believes in the power of people of dif- However, aware of their capacity to contribute sig- line workers around the country with personal protect- same book with the same writing style… They did not want nificantly during this public health crisis, District ing equipment (PPE), surgical masks, shoes, and many ferent faiths meeting face to face. It’s harder to to hurt the Muslim politicians,” he said. sustain distorted beliefs when a community is Governor for Sri Lanka & Maldives, Sebastian Karuna- other things through over 70 Rotary clubs in the coun- “Now, we feel as if we are betrayed. Just to arouse the karan said they would be undertaking the new project try.” The total project cost is estimated to be around Rs gracious towards you, he says. emotions of the people, the representatives of the govern- “When they see each other as individuals, with the same spirit that was witnessed in their battle 150 million. ment say something about the investigations [into the against polio and in the aftermath of the tsunami. Ro- The project is supported by The Rotary Foundation, there’s a lot of goodwill,” says Perera. “It’s when bombings]. It is only a good slogan for the next election.” people put ideas into their heads in the abstract, tary said a special task force has been established for District Designated Funds (DDF) from Rotary Districts The Catholic Bishops' Conference of Sri Lanka has ap- this purpose under the chairmanship of Past Rotary In- in Australia, Japan, USA, UK and Taiwan, and gener- then it’s easy to build anger.” pealed to the government to appoint an independent com- Over the years he has seen unfounded accusa- ternational President K.R. Ravindran who spearhead- ous contributions by our own Rotary family and several mission to conduct an impartial inquiry. ed several mega Rotary projects in Sri Lanka, including reputed corporates, including Carson Cumberbatch tions that a Muslim surgeon secretly sterilized Commemorating the attacks on their one-year anniver- Sinhalese women, and now claims that certain fighting against polio and rebuilding schools affected PLC, NDB Bank and LBR Foundation, to name a few. sary, parishes in Sri Lanka rang church bells, encouraged groups are responsible for the spread of COV- by the tsunami. With the increased plea for help, Rotary has to renew people to observe a two-minute period of silence, and lit ID-19. Burial practices of different faiths during the call for funds. This is an emergency as never seen It said reputed corporate leaders and professionals lamps in memory of the dead victims. the outbreak are controversial. in Rotary have volunteered to serve as members of the before and those who would like to be a part of pro- While public Masses have been cancelled in Sri Lanka For Perera, the coronavirus outbreak is a call task force, and renowned audit firm EY has been ap- ject are invited to visit https://covid19.rid3220.org for because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Cardinal Malcolm for unity, not more division. “COVID is infecting pointed as the official auditor to ensure transparency. sponsorship and other details. Ranjith of Colombo live-streamed Easter Mass on April anyone without any discrimination,” he says. “We are committed to help the MRI re-equip and Rotary brings together a global network of volun- 12. During the live stream, Ranjith voiced forgiveness for “We must not think on these divisive lines but modernize their equipment to carry out tests faster and teers dedicated to tackling the world’s most pressing the attackers. face the problem together. more accurately. We will help them to be more agile humanitarian challenges. “[W]e meditated on Christ's teachings and loved them, “Unless we are all secure, none of us will be and cater to more, eventually lifting it up to interna- The organization connects 1.2 million members in forgave them and had pity on them,” he said, according to secure, and that is the message that COVID is tional standards in testing techniques,” Karunakaran more than 35,000 Rotary clubs in over 200 countries Vatican News. bringing us one year after the Easter bombings.” elaborated. and regions. Their work improves lives at both the local “We did not hate them and return them the violence. The main equipment required for the MRI is a fully- and international levels, from helping families in need Resurrection is the complete rejection of selfishness,” the - Lucy Lamble is the executive editor of automated Nucleic Acid Extraction and PCR System in their own communities to working toward a polio- cardinal said. the Guardian's global development desk which with related peripherals and accessories. With this, the free world. - CNA originally published this article PRINED AND PLISED EXPRESS NEWSPAPERS E P, LD N - 26, RAA AWAA, EKALA - A - ELA